As you may know, Groundhog Day is observed on February 2nd to predict if there will be an early spring or if six more weeks of winter are in order. Groundhogs are large, ground-dwelling rodents found mainly on the East Coast that can cause severe damage to landscapes, gardens, and structures.
While California doesn't have these future-predicting rodents, the West Coast is home to groundhog relatives and look-alikes that are often considered pests in our landscapes and homes. These include other destructive, burrowing rodents like pocket gophers, ground squirrels, voles, Norway rats, and the invasive aquatic rodent, nutria.Though not rodents, moles are another burrowing animal that you may encounter in gardens and landscapes.
Burrowing animals and vertebrate pests in general are difficult to manage, especially in and around our homes and landscapes. The safest and most effective way to control these pests is by trapping, exclusion, and habitat modification.
To learn more about vertebrate pests in and around the home and garden, see UC IPM's vertebrate Pest Notes publications or visit the Wildlife Pest Identification Tool for help identifying vertebrate pests and finding management solutions.
Figure 1 shows a mole mound, which usually is volano-shaped with a circular margin. Figure 2 illustrates a gopher mound and the characteristic crescent shape and plugged opening. Actual mounds may look slightly different from these pictures, but the descriptions are typical of the two vertebrates.
Once you've correctly identified which pest made the mound, consult the management information for these two pests by visiting the UC IPM Pest Notes Pocket Gophers and Moles.
Advice from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Client: Some animal is burrowing throughout my garden. I've had pocket gophers in the past, but I'm not sure that's what I've got this time. Could you help me identify the “burrower” and suggest possible controls? Also, are these pests nocturnal?
MGPCC Help Desk: Thank you for contacting UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa with your question regarding pest control of the burrowing pest(s) in your garden.
The potential pests in your yard could be ground squirrels, moles, pocket gophers or voles. You also mentioned that you have had pocket gophers in the past and wondered which of these critters are nocturnal.
All members of the squirrel family except flying squirrels are diurnal – which means they're active primarily during the day. Moles are not nocturnal. This misconception is probably the result of people looking out their window in the morning and seeing fresh mole hills. In fact, moles are not necessarily more or less active at any time during the day or night. They are more active during quiet periods, such as early morning or late in the evening. Pocket gophers are active throughout the day with periods of rest. Voles can be nocturnal or diurnal depending on the species.
The best way to determine what type of pest you have is by the damage you see.
- Ground Squirrels: The key identifier for these rodents is an exposed tunnel entrance with discarded dirt surrounding the entrance of the tunnel. You can see right into a ground squirrel burrow, unlike that of moles or pocket gophers.
- Moles: If you have a mole, you will see mounds of dirt and/or surface tunnels. Dirt mounds (look like piles or "puffs" of dirt shaped like a volcano) and surface tunnels (look like the veins on the back of your hand). Not all moles will have both surface tunnels and dirt mounds. If you see one or the other (or both), you have a mole.
- Pocket Gophers: Damage done by pocket gophers is similar to moles, but there is a major difference. Dirt mounds are crescent-shaped (like a "C") with a "dirt plug" on one side of the mound.
- Voles: Voles typically “piggy back” on the damage done by moles and tend to travel in mole tunnels and often are the cause of damage to roots, bulbs, and tubers within.
UC IPM Pest Notes (via free download) provide specific guidance on identification of these garden pests as well as controls. Here are the links to the appropriate Pest Notes:
Ground Squirrels:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7438.html
Moles:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74115.html
Pocket Gophers:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7433.html
Voles:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7439.html
Good luck on your on successful controls. You have many fellow gardeners who feel your pain.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have additional questions.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SLH)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/).
By Sheila Derr, Butte County Master Gardener, November 14, 2014
Vertebrate pests can pose a serious threat to the achievement of one's “dream garden” by wreaking havoc on plants and vegetables literally overnight. They feed or gnaw on the roots of ornamental plants, vines, shrubs and trees, and even plastic water lines.
In our area, pocket gophers, moles, voles and ground squirrels can do quite a lot of damage in a short amount of time. All of these animal pests are underground dwellers, and spend much of their lives out of human sight. Usually the first sign of their presence are their mounds or tunnels.
Because the California Fish and Wildlife Code classifies pocket gophers, moles, voles and ground squirrels as nongame animals, you can control them in any legal manner. Check with your city or county for additional regulations.
Modifying their habitat should be your first step when you find evidence of these intruders. Cleaning up leaves, brush, and debris, and removing food sources will make the area less desirable to them. This will also help you detect new mounds and burrows.
Trapping is the most common method for eradication. There are specific traps that work for each species (for example, the Gophinator trap for gophers). It is important to read the labels before purchasing a trap to make sure you are using the one best suited for your pest problem. Check traps every couple of days and reset them when necessary.
Other methods, such as the use of flooding, vibrating probes, bait, or fumigation have very limited success over time, and can be intimidating for the home gardener to employ.
Excluding the pest is the longest-lasting and most effective method of eradication, but it takes more planning and hard work to accomplish, and can be costly to install. Underground fencing can be justified for valuable ornamental shrubs, vegetable gardens, and trees. When constructing raised beds, underlay the soil with hardware cloth or three-quarter-inch mesh poultry wire at least 2 feet deep, and with an additional 6 inches bent at a 90-degree angle away from the planting area. Wire baskets can be installed when planting to protect roots of individual plants; these can be purchased commercially or home-made.
Predators such as hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes, snakes, and neighborhood cats can also help keep down the numbers of vertebrate pests. Because natural controls should eventually limit their numbers, one alternative is to do nothing and let nature take its course.
Monitor your garden as the seasons change. Keeping debris to a minimum, watching for activity, and acting quickly to keep ahead of these destructive pests will prove to be your best defense. Keep records of what worked for you and what didn't. These methods used separately or in combination can make a real difference, putting you one step closer to that “dream garden.”
For many years I perused seed catalogs every spring, trying to decide which peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers to plant. Sometimes I would let my husband decide, as I did two years ago. He decided to plant the 24 hottest pepper varieties he could find.
More than once I have tended our garden all season, only to bring the harvest into the kitchen and wonder what I was going to do with it. Now before I plant, I peruse my cookbooks instead.
This year as I choose peppers (Capsicum annuum), I go back to my favorite recipes for moles and salsas and pickled peppers. These recipes will determine the varieties I plant in my garden.
Poblano peppers are one of my favorites and produce regal-looking heart-shaped fruits on two- to three-foot-tall plants. Fruit color ranges from a deep, almost-black green to a rich chocolatey brown. When fire-roasted and peeled, the mild and aromatic poblanos are perfect for chiles rellenos. They are easy to stuff, and they hold their shape when cooked. If allowed to ripen and dry, this same pepper becomes leathery and wrinkled. In the dry form, it is known as the ancho chile, the basis of some of my favorite moles.
When I think of cayenne peppers, I usually think red. But this year, both Peaceful Valley (www.GrowOrganic.com) and Gurneys (www.Gurney.com) have seeds for a cayenne pepper mix of green, red, orange, yellow and purple. I can easily visualize these in colorful dried and braided pepper ristras.
Cayenne peppers can be dried and pulverized for chili powder mixes or for straight cayenne powder, if you are hard core. Use a dash in soups, stews and tomato sauce. Shake dried flakes and seeds on pizza or in any dish that needs a little kick. Cayenne is high in vitamins A and C.
This year I will plant jalapeños again. Pickled jalapeño peppers are one of my easiest home pickling projects. To make them, I wash fresh jalapeños, then slice them and pack them in clean jars with a sprinkle of herbs and spices. Then I pour hot vinegar brine over them and process the jars in a hot water bath. For specific directions, follow instructions for pickled jalapeños in any pickling or canning cookbook. Enjoy these spicy pickles on refried beans, in scrambled eggs, or in anything that needs a jolt.
Spanish padrón peppers have been popping up on Napa Valley small-plate menus for the last couple of years. Seedlings should be available in local nurseries in another month or so, and there is still time to plant seeds. Padrón pepper seeds from Renee's Garden are available on local seed racks or online (www.reneesgarden.com).
These one-bite green peppers can range from mild to just plain hot, and they are easy to prepare. Put the peppers in a small cast-iron skillet or ovenproof ceramic dish. Toss with olive oil and salt and throw in a few garlic cloves if you like. Roast in a hot oven until the peppers start to char.
Renee's Garden offers many seed combinations so gardeners do not have to invest in more seed than they can use just to have some variety. The company also color-codes the seeds so you do not have to guess which variety you are planting.
Mexican-style salsa verde is another summer favorite at our house so growing tomatillos (Physalis ixocarpa) is a must. We use fresh, tart tomatillo sauce and the equally delicious roasted tomatillo sauce on enchildas suizas (chicken enchiladas with a tomatillo cream sauce), in salsa verde and fresh salsas of chopped tomatillos, roasted garlic, chopped onion, cilantro and lime. Equally wonderful are purple tomatillos, which make a fresh salsa with a sweet-tart flavor. They start out green, turning purple where the husks begin to reveal them. Purple tomatillos continue to change color after the husks are removed.
This year Territorial Seed Company (www.TerritorialSeed.com) is offering a variety of tomatillo I have not seen before called ‘Mexican Strain'. At almost two inches in diameter, ‘Mexican Strain' is larger than most tomatillos. It has a dark yellow color and is described as more savory than other types. The plants are heavy yielding, and, like other tomatillos, they drop their fruits when fully ripe. Tomatillos are versatile in the kitchen. You can pickle them or use them in a variety of sauces. They are easy to grow and will come back every year if not disturbed.
I fully expect to bring my harvests into the kitchen this year. But instead of wondering what to do with my bounty, I'll be wondering what to try first.
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. Napa County Master Gardeners (http://napamg.ucanr.edu) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Garden Questions?