What Do Gophers Eat? And Why They Target Your Yard

Understanding what gophers eat explains why your yard is under attack — and why some yards get hit harder than others.

The Gopher Diet: Roots, Bulbs, and Tubers

Pocket gophers are strict herbivores that feed almost entirely underground. Their primary food sources include:

Root systems — The main food source. Gophers eat roots of grasses, shrubs, and trees by pulling them down into their tunnels.
Bulbs and tubers — Tulips, iris, potatoes, carrots, and other underground vegetables are favorite targets.
Above-ground plants — Gophers occasionally pull entire small plants below ground from the root, creating the classic "plant disappears overnight" scenario.
Bark and stems — Young tree bark near the soil surface is vulnerable, especially in winter when other food is scarce.

Plants Gophers Love Most

Certain plants are gopher magnets:

Alfalfa and clover — Rich root systems gophers can feed on without surfacing
Ice plant — Succulent roots provide both food and moisture
Fruit tree roots — Citrus, avocado, and stone fruit trees are frequent targets
Garden vegetables — Carrots, potatoes, and beets are pulled underground
Rose bushes — Deep root systems attract gophers to established rose gardens

What Attracts Gophers to Your Yard

Three conditions attract gophers:

Irrigation: Regular watering keeps soil soft for tunneling and promotes root growth — gopher food. Dry, hard soil is difficult to tunnel through.
Deep-rooted landscaping: Mature plants with extensive root systems provide more food than a bare lot.
Soft, workable soil: Sandy loam is ideal. Heavy clay soil discourages gopher colonization.

Can You Make Your Yard Less Attractive to Gophers?

Partially. Gopher-resistant plants (lavender, rosemary, oleander, salvia) may reduce feeding incentives, but they won't prevent tunneling. Wire mesh barriers around individual plants or garden beds can protect specific high-value plantings. However, for properties near open space or agricultural land, proactive professional gopher control is the only reliable long-term solution.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do gophers eat?

Primarily plant roots, bulbs, and tubers. They eat underground, pulling food down through their tunnel system. Favorite targets include alfalfa, ice plant, fruit tree roots, and garden vegetables.

What attracts gophers to my yard?

Three things: irrigation (soft soil + root growth), deep-rooted landscaping (food source), and workable soil texture (easy tunneling). Well-maintained yards are actually more attractive to gophers than neglected ones.

Southern California Plants Gophers Target Most

In Southern California's warm climate, these common landscape plants are the biggest gopher magnets:

Bermuda grass — The most common SoCal lawn grass. Its extensive root network provides a constant food source, and gophers can feed without ever surfacing.
Ice plant (Carpobrotus) — Widely used as ground cover on slopes. Succulent roots provide both food and moisture. Gophers devastate ice plant installations.
Citrus trees — Orange, lemon, and avocado tree roots are prime targets. Gophers can kill a mature citrus tree by severing major roots below ground.
Bougainvillea — Deep tap root system attracts gophers, especially in irrigated planters.
Rose bushes — Root depth and soil moisture make rose gardens frequent gopher targets.
Vegetable gardens — Carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, and garlic are pulled underground. Tomato roots are also eaten.

How Seasonal Plant Cycles Affect Gopher Activity

Gopher feeding patterns follow plant growth cycles. In spring when root systems are actively growing, gopher activity peaks because food is abundant and easy to find. During summer dry periods, gophers concentrate around irrigated areas where plants are still actively growing — this is why your watered lawn gets hit while your neighbor's dry hillside doesn't.

In fall and winter, gophers shift to stored food reserves. They maintain underground food caches — chambers packed with roots, bulbs, and tubers — that sustain them through periods when fresh root growth slows. A single food cache can contain several pounds of stored plant material.

How Gophers Cache Food Underground

Gophers are hoarders. They create dedicated food storage chambers in their tunnel system, typically at 2-3 feet depth. These caches are packed with chewed roots, tubers, and bulbs that the gopher has collected during active feeding periods. A well-stocked cache can sustain a gopher for weeks, which is one reason they can survive even when surface food sources decline.

Can Removing Food Sources Prevent Gophers?

Planting gopher-resistant species (lavender, rosemary, oleander, sage, society garlic) reduces the food incentive, but won't prevent gophers from tunneling through your yard to reach neighboring properties. Gophers also eat grass roots, which are present in virtually every irrigated lawn. The only reliable food-denial strategy is installing underground wire mesh barriers (hardware cloth at 24 inches deep) around specific high-value plantings — but this protects individual plants, not your entire yard.

Need Professional Gopher Control?

Gopher Guys provides chemical-free gopher removal across Southern California. Pet-safe trapping, 60-day guarantee, starting at $325. Visit Rodent Guys or call (909) 599-4711.