One of the most damaging pests of alfalfa is the pocket gopher.  A recent study estimated that, when present, pocket gophers resulted in an 8.8% loss in revenue.  The damage that pocket gophers cause to alfalfa can be quite varied but includes consumption of tap roots and above-ground vegetation that can result in reduced vigor and/or mortality of alfalfa plants, loss of irrigation water down burrow systems, and chewing on underground irrigation lines.  Pocket gopher mounds can result in additional problems including serving as weed seed beds, burying of plants, and causing damage to farm equipment.

A number of options are currently available for controlling pocket gophers but most control centers on toxic baits,...