The wildlife around your Boise home can be fun to watch, but when burrowing animals start tearing up lawns and gardens, the damage adds up quickly. Gophers, moles, and even voles can all create tunnels, mounds, and dead patches across your yard. Knowing which animal you’re dealing with is the first step toward choosing the right control method.
This guide explains how to tell gophers, moles, and voles apart, what kind of damage they cause, and what you can do to protect your lawn and landscaping in the Treasure Valley.
Gophers vs. Moles vs. Voles – What’s in Your Yard?
Although their tunnels can look similar at first glance, gophers, moles, and voles are very different animals with very different habits:
- Gophers – Rodents that feed on roots, bulbs, and plants. They create large soil mounds and can kill turf, shrubs, and even young trees.
- Moles – Insect-eating mammals that tunnel just below the surface. They primarily eat grubs and worms but leave raised ridges and mounds that ruin lawns.
- Voles – Small rodents that travel in shallow runways through grass and mulch, feeding on roots, stems, and bark.
Because each pest behaves differently, the most effective control for gophers may not work for moles or voles. Correct identification is critical.
Moles – Insect-Eaters That Tunnel Through Lawns
Moles are small, furry mammals best known for their unique appearance: tiny eyes, almost invisible ears, and an elongated snout. They’re perfectly adapted for underground life, with powerful front paws that act like shovels.
Moles have poor eyesight but an excellent sense of touch. They dig extensive tunnel systems through moist soil to hunt earthworms, grubs, and other insects. While they are not trying to eat your plants, their tunneling can cause:
- Raised, spongy ridges just below the surface
- Scattered, volcano-shaped mounds of soil
- Damaged turf that lifts easily from the ground
For many Boise homeowners, mole damage is primarily an aesthetic issue, but heavy activity can weaken sections of lawn and create tripping hazards.
Pocket Gophers – Plant-Eating Burrowers
Pocket gophers are larger than moles and have a completely different body shape. They have:
- Stocky bodies and short necks
- Visible eyes and ears
- Large front teeth used for gnawing roots and stems
- External, fur-lined cheek pouches (“pockets”) for carrying food
Gophers spend nearly all of their time underground, pushing soil to the surface as they dig. A classic gopher mound is a fan or horseshoe shape with a visible plug where the entrance has been closed off.
Common gopher damage includes:
- Fresh mounds of soil scattered through lawns or fields
- Plants wilting or collapsing as roots are eaten from below
- Chewed roots, bulbs, and tubers in gardens and flower beds
Because gophers feed directly on plant material, they can quickly destroy landscaping, ornamental beds, garden rows, and newly planted trees.
Voles – Surface Runways and Chewed Grass
Voles are small brown rodents that resemble short-tailed mice. Instead of creating large mounds, they build shallow runway systems just beneath the grass and surface vegetation.
Signs of vole activity include:
- Narrow runways (1–2 inches wide) through matted or dead grass
- Gnaw marks on stems, bulbs, and lower trunks of shrubs or trees
- Patches of damaged turf following snow melt, especially in winter and early spring
For a deeper dive into vole behavior and control options, see our article How to Get Rid of Voles.
How to Get Rid of Gophers & Moles in Your Yard
Once you’ve identified which animal is causing damage, you can target your control efforts more effectively. Here are the most common approaches used in Boise and the surrounding Treasure Valley:
1. Reduce Food Sources & Shelter
- Keep lawns mowed and edges trimmed to reduce cover.
- Remove heavy thatch, dense groundcover, and piles of debris.
- Address grub problems—fewer grubs can make your lawn less attractive to moles.
2. Trapping
Trapping is one of the most reliable ways to control gophers and moles when done correctly.
- Moles: Specialized mole traps are placed in active surface tunnels (the raised ridges).
- Gophers: Gopher traps are set inside main tunnels reached by digging into fresh mounds.
Correct placement and safety are essential, especially in yards where children and pets are present. If you’re unsure where or how to set traps, a professional can save a lot of time and frustration.
3. Barriers & Garden Protection
- Install underground hardware cloth or wire mesh around raised beds.
- Use gopher baskets or root guards when planting high-value trees and shrubs.
- Repair gaps along fences and under sheds where burrow systems often start.
4. Repellents & Baits
Castor-oil-based repellents and similar products may help in some low-pressure situations, especially for moles, by making soil less attractive. However, results are often temporary.
There are bait and toxicant products labeled for gophers and other burrowing pests, but many are restricted-use and can pose risks to pets, wildlife, and non-target animals if misapplied. For that reason, these treatments are best handled by a licensed professional familiar with Idaho regulations and safety requirements.
5. Professional Wildlife Control
When gophers, moles, or voles have taken over large sections of lawn—or keep coming back season after season—professional help is usually the fastest and most effective option.
Pestcom’s wildlife removal team can:
- Correctly identify whether you’re dealing with gophers, moles, voles, or a combination.
- Locate the most active tunnel systems and runways.
- Use targeted trapping and control methods that are safe and effective.
- Recommend long-term prevention steps tailored to your property.
Protecting Your Treasure Valley Lawn
Burrowing wildlife is part of our local ecosystem—but that doesn’t mean they have to destroy your yard. By learning the differences between gophers, moles, and voles, you can spot early warning signs and address problems before the damage spreads.
If you’re seeing fresh mounds, raised tunnels, or strange runways in your Boise-area lawn, Pestcom Pest Management is here to help. Our technicians can inspect your property, identify the culprit, and build a customized plan to reclaim your yard.