Do Gophers Carry Diseases? The Dangers Of a Gopher Infestation

The Problems a Gopher Infestation Could Cause To Your Arizona Home

Gophers are common yard pests, and that’s why many people often wonder if they can carry any diseases. While they can carry some diseases, it is rare for a human to get infected, especially with rabies. However, you must be careful with gopher infestation because these diseases can be an issue in certain conditions (for example, when a small child tries to play with the gopher).

In addition to contacting a Chandler gopher pest control company, we recommend you read this information to avoid health risks with gophers.

Gophers Can Damage Your Lawn

If you notice numerous horseshoe-shaped mounds popping up from your lawn, then you may have a gopher infestation. When these furry animals come onto your property, they carry potential hazards.

As soon as you see dirt mounds in your yard, you may already see some of the damage these little animals can do. Despite their size, gophers can destroy huge farms and gardens due to their vast tunneling activities. But, the piles of dirt you see out of your window only show part of the damage. 

While digging their tunnels, these animals cause two types of damage to your garden or farm. The first one is the most notorious, which is to weaken the integrity of your yard because of the big holes. If there is a cave-in, you could end up with larger exterior holes that damage your lawn’s beauty, and in that case, only an Arizona gopher trapper can be helpful. 

The second damage is that gophers eat the roots of your grass while digging. They even pull blades of grass down through the earth. You may see brown patches where you should see lustrous, green grass. Gophers are strict vegetarians, so this is basically part of their lifestyle because they need your vegetable roots to survive.

Your Beautiful Plants Become Food

You may think that gophers only eat grass or certain vegetables like carrots and radishes, but that’s far from true. They may also start eating the roots of your flowers and trees while digging underground. If you have any kind of bulb planted, they probably will start feeding on those too.

Gophers can also start eating your bedding plants as well because they do not stay underground. You will see this problem easily once you notice flower heads missing that were present one or two days before. Then, you may see entire flower plants gone because gophers drag them down into their tunnels. 

Regardless of the type of plant you have in your yawn, you can be sure that it can be in danger when a gopher is nearby. Contacting Arizona gopher removal services is usually the best solution to solve this infestation. 

Dirt Mounds Become Potential Hazards

Gophers are not only a risk to your landscaping or lawn but also to you and your well-being. The dirt mounds you see in your garden or lawn become a walking hazard once they start to accumulate.

You or any family member could step into a big hole if you are not careful. Remember that the ground under the mounds is hollow, so it is very dangerous to walk in. Besides, an unexpected drop could hurt your foot, ankle, leg, or even an arm. 

If you or your family member’s foot gets stuck in the hole, there’s a big risk of breaking an ankle. If the gopher is under the ground near that mound, they may try to bite that foot, and that’s a potential health hazard because they carry some diseases 

What Common Diseases Gophers Carry?

Since Gophers are mammals, they can carry rabies, but they do not exhibit symptoms themselves. They can bite you or another family member and pass on the infection. That’s why you should contact a Surprise gopher pest control company as soon as you see gophers in your yawn, and not wait for a bite to happen.

Always be careful with small children, as they may try to pet or grab a gopher to play with them, and that increases the risk of a bite. 

Rabies is not the only disease gophers can carry, they also can carry:

• Monkeypox
• Hantavirus
• Plague.

Monkeypox is probably one of the most common. This disease starts with symptoms like body aches, flu, and swollen lymph nodes. Be sure to contact a doctor if you notice any of the symptoms after a gopher bite.

Control & Removal With Gopher Guy AZ

If you think you have a gopher infestation in your yawn and you want to avoid all the dangers they can carry, you should contact Gopher Guy AZ. We safely remove many rodents including gophers, moles, and voles. Contact us today to schedule your free estimate!

Published by – Gopher Guy AZ