The Spicy Pest Control Hack You Should Never Use When Dealing With Gophers

Gophers tunneling through your yard can be a nightmare. These burrowing rodents create unsightly mounds, damage plant roots, and turn well-manicured lawns into obstacle courses. As a result, homeowners and gardeners naturally look for ways to control these pests. A quick internet search shows there are all sorts of DIY methods for getting rid of gophers. One commonly suggested option? Hot peppers. Some claim that a sprinkle of red pepper flakes can make your garden thrive and that soaking soil in pepper-infused water will send gophers packing, thanks to the intense burn of capsaicin, the compound that gives peppers their heat.

At first glance, this method might seem like a natural, eco-friendly solution. After all, capsaicin is known to repel many pests, from insects to rodents. However, it's not the best method to keep pests off your property. This method is unreliable, as hot pepper particles break down quickly in the soil and lose potency. Plus, it also introduces other risks you might not have considered. Before reaching for that bottle of cayenne powder, it's important to understand why this spicy solution isn't the humane or effective deterrent it's made out to be.

Unlike raccoons and squirrels, who forage above ground, gophers navigate by detecting vibrations and physical barriers in their underground tunnels. This means they are far less likely to be deterred by spicy substances, since their food sources, which are primarily roots and underground vegetation, aren't affected by surface-level irritants.

Even if gophers do come into contact with spicy substances, they can easily block off affected tunnels by pushing soil into them or digging new pathways. Additionally, capsaicin-based deterrents require constant reapplication, especially after rain or irrigation, making them a temporary and unreliable solution. Worse, some spicy deterrents can cause irritation or harm to pets, children, and even the gardener applying them. 

Instead of relying on this unreliable and potentially harmful hack, consider how to get rid of gophers humanely using long-term solutions. Gopher baskets can protect plant roots, ultrasonic devices can create uncomfortable vibrations to encourage relocation, and strategic landscaping choices, such as planting gopher-resistant species, can naturally deter them.