New Construction Neighborhoods and Gopher Problems — Why New Developments Get Hit Hard

Homeowners who move into newly built homes in Southern California frequently discover gopher activity within weeks or months of move-in — sometimes before landscaping is even fully established. This is not coincidence and it is not bad luck specific to their property. New construction neighborhoods experience gopher pressure from a specific and predictable mechanism that affects virtually every new residential development built on previously agricultural or natural land in the region.

The Displacement Mechanism

When a new residential development is graded and built on land that was previously agricultural, undeveloped natural terrain, or fallow — all of which are common land histories for new development in the Inland Empire, San Gabriel Valley, and expanding areas of Orange County — the existing gopher population on that land is displaced. Grading removes the soil above their tunnel systems. Construction activity disturbs the remaining terrain. The animals that were established on that land must relocate.

They do not disappear. They move to the nearest available habitat — which, in a new subdivision, is the adjacent completed residential lots with their fresh landscaping, new irrigation systems, and newly planted material. The first completed homes at the edge of an active construction zone receive the highest pressure because they are the closest available refuge for displaced animals. As construction progresses through the subdivision, the pressure wave moves with it.

Why New Landscaping Makes It Worse

New residential landscaping is uniquely attractive to gophers as described in our article on gopher problems in newly landscaped yards. Fresh root growth, loosened soil from installation, and new irrigation all create maximum attractiveness at exactly the time when displaced animals from the construction zone are actively seeking new territory. The combination of displacement pressure and new landscaping attraction makes gopher establishment in newly completed homes essentially inevitable in areas being built on previously gopher-populated land.

The Second Wave: Adjacent Open Space

Many new Southern California developments are built adjacent to preserved open space — parks, wildlife corridors, or undeveloped remnant parcels. These open space areas sustain established gopher populations that were not displaced by construction. Homes at the interface between the new development and the adjacent open space face continuous pressure from the open space population in addition to the displacement pressure from the construction zone. These edge homes — particularly those backing up to open space — often have the most persistent gopher problems in the entire new neighborhood.

What New Homeowners Should Do

Treat at the first sign of mound activity — do not wait to see how bad it gets. A gopher that arrives in a new yard is establishing territory in fresh, attractive conditions. Early treatment removes the animal before it has fully established and before it breeds. A gopher removed in month one of occupancy is a much simpler job than the same animal treated six months later after it has expanded its tunnel system through the entire backyard and potentially bred.

New homeowners in neighborhoods still under active construction should be particularly vigilant in spring, when construction-displaced animals are joined by spring juvenile dispersal from adjacent established populations. The combination of these two pressure sources makes spring the highest-risk period for new construction neighborhoods.

Frequently Asked Questions

My new home is in a brand new neighborhood — why do I already have gophers?

Your neighborhood was built on land that previously had an established gopher population. Construction grading displaced those animals, and the closest available habitat was your completed yard with its new landscaping and irrigation.

Will the gopher problem get better once construction in my neighborhood is finished?

Displacement pressure from active construction will decrease, but open space adjacency pressure is permanent. Properties backing up to parks or preserved land will have ongoing pressure regardless of whether construction is still active.

Should I treat before finishing my landscaping?

Yes, if you have active mound activity. Treat the gopher first, then complete the landscaping. Installing new landscaping while an active gopher is present puts the new planting at immediate risk.

Call 909-599-4711 — we serve new construction neighborhoods throughout Southern California. First mound is the right time to call.