How Far Can Gophers Tunnel? Understanding Gopher Territory in Southern California

One of the most surprising facts about pocket gophers is the extent of the tunnel systems a single animal can create and maintain. Understanding gopher tunneling behavior helps explain why treatment requires multiple follow-up visits, why mounds appear in unexpected locations, and why a property can have extensive gopher activity from just one or two animals.

Total Tunnel Length: Up to 200+ Linear Feet

A single Botta's pocket gopher — the species responsible for virtually all residential gopher damage in Southern California — maintains a tunnel system that can extend 200 or more linear feet in total length. This is the total combined length of all tunnel segments: the main corridor, lateral feeding branches, dead-end waste chambers, and the deeper nesting section. Laid out in a straight line, a typical gopher's tunnel system would stretch two-thirds the length of a football field.

In practice, this system is spread across the gopher's territory in a branching network. The main travel corridor may run 50-100 feet through a yard while lateral branches extend 10-20 feet in multiple directions. A gopher in an average suburban backyard can have tunnel access to virtually every point of the yard.

Tunnel Depth: Varies by Function

Gopher tunnels are not all at the same depth. Feeding tunnels — where the gopher travels to access roots — are typically 6-18 inches below the surface. The main travel corridor is usually 12-18 inches deep. Nesting chambers, where the gopher sleeps and raises young, are deeper still — often 2-3 feet below the surface. Mound-pushing activity brings the gopher temporarily to shallower depths to push soil to the surface.

This variation in depth is why carbon monoxide treatment must be applied into the primary tunnel rather than surface mounds, and why traps must be placed in active main tunnels rather than surface push-outs. Understanding depth is a significant part of what experienced technicians do when assessing a property.

Territory Size and Exclusion

Gophers are highly territorial and actively exclude other gophers from their tunnel systems. One animal's territory typically covers a residential lot or a significant portion of one. Adjacent gophers maintain their own separate systems and the boundary between them is actively defended. This territorial behavior explains why treating a single animal resolves a contained infestation — the treated gopher was excluding others from that space.

It also explains reinvasion: when a gopher is removed, the vacated territory becomes detectable by neighboring animals who then move in and begin establishing their own tunnel system in the space.

What This Means for Treatment

The extent of a single gopher's tunnel system means that mounds appearing in different parts of your yard — front and back, left and right — can all be connected to the same animal. Your technician maps the tunnel layout on the first visit to identify the primary corridors and place traps or apply CO treatment where the gopher actually travels, not just where mounds appeared.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can one gopher really have mounds in my front yard and backyard?

Yes. A single gopher's tunnel system can cover an entire residential lot. Mounds in different parts of your yard are often one animal's activity.

How deep do gophers nest?

Nesting chambers are typically 2-3 feet below the surface — deeper than feeding tunnels. The gopher is safe from most surface disturbances at this depth.

Does tunnel depth affect treatment?

Yes. Effective treatment — whether trapping or CO — requires accessing the primary tunnel at depth, not just the surface mound push-outs. Identifying and accessing active main tunnels is a key skill in professional gopher control.

Call 909-599-4711 to schedule service from technicians who know how to find and treat gopher tunnel systems effectively.