Gophers are herbivores and feed on different kinds of roots. They also eat leaves and some insects – try the best gopher poison. So if you see an area of dead grass, it might be because gophers have been eating up its roots. 
To tackle these pests, most people use gopher baits that act as a poisonous meal.
As gophers tend to use the existing tunnels, they might come across leftover bait that’s lying around. It’ll get attracted to the bait and end up eating it and die before you even find out about the presence of a new gopher.
Reviews: Top 7 Best Gopher Poison for 2023
1. JT Eaton Anticoagulant Poison / Bait – #1 Pick
This gopher bait is undoubtedly our top pick and the best solution to your gopher problem.
It’s a first-generation anticoagulant bait. The active ingredient used in this is diphacinone at 0.005%.
It’s relatively easy to use, empty, and re-use as you don’t have to fill in the tunnel. It’s able to hold up against moisture and can be left unattended for long periods.
It can be used over and over again and tends to produce outstanding results every time without any change in the method.
- It’s a first-generation anticoagulant.
- The block baits are moisture resistant.
- You don’t need to dig up to use this bait.
- The bait is long-lasting and can be used time and time again.
- Once the gophers die, the situation can get quite gruesome.
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2. Kaput Gopher Poison / Bait – #2 Pick
Diphacinone is the active ingredient that’s used to make the Kaput Gopher Bait. Unlike the bait mentioned before that is in the form of a block, this one comes in the shape of a pellet.
The gophers seem to love this bait as their last meal. It comes in a large-sized bucket for various uses. You only require a few ounces to put in each hole. However, you need to dig a hole and then place the bait.
Make a hole in the ground and pour the pellets in, or use an applicator to do so. You’ll have plenty of the bait to cover a wide area and apply it in each hole.
After waiting for a few days, bait the holes again, and it’ll help you get rid of the gophers.
- The bait is the first-generation anticoagulant.
- The bait is quite long-lasting.
- You need to dig or use an applicator to apply the bait.
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3. Amdro Mole & Gopher Bait – #3 Pick
The formula of the Amdro Mole and Gopher Bait consists of zinc phosphide as the active ingredient. It’s the first zinc phosphide bait on the list.
If you follow the instructions on the label carefully, you’ll achieve great results from its use.
The bait is in a pellet shape that comes in a small container. When using this bait, you need to be right on target, as the attractant isn’t too strong, and the gophers might ignore it and move on.
As the quantity is limited, you might run out of the bait if you try to cover a large number of mounds. Proper baiting requires time and multiple attempts to get the job done right.
- Any homeowner can use it with ease.
- It uses zinc phospohide as an active ingredient
- The attractant can be improved.
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4. MOLETOX, Gopher Killer
Moletox is another bait that uses zinc phosphide as its active ingredient. This pellet shaped bait is a choke-type trap for the gopher. So, it would help if you killed the gopher once it gets caught.
It would help if you placed it on the ground in a way that it’s secured and anchored to it. The corn attractant seems to work quite well.
The label claims that you only require a teaspoon of bait for each mound to kill the gophers, and it’s true.
However, this bait also comes in a small package which only contains one pound of bait.
It turns out to be an insufficient quantity when treating the entire yard that’s affected by gophers. You would require more quantity as you’ll soon run out of it.
- It contains a corn-based attractant that’s quite effective.
- You don’t need to put in a lot of effort.
- It has a small container that means you need to spend a few extra bucks
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5. Sweeney’s Gopher Poison Peanuts
The last bait on the list is another one that has zinc phosphide in it. Quite similar to the previous gopher bait, this one’s also a choke-type trap that requires you to kill the gopher after the catch.
This bait has an excellent attractant that gophers are lured to. If you place it in the right spots, they’ll be attracted to it and die once they eat it.
When applying this bait, secure it to the ground such that it’s anchored. It’s easy to use as it comes in four cone-shaped packages, a fact which enables you to pour it down the hole easily.
It’s perfect if the yard has a limited infestation as only 24 ounces can get the job done, but for repeating bait, it’s better to have more of it.
- The attractant does the job perfectly well.
- Amongst the rest of the pellet baits, this one is the easiest to use.
- None
Now that you know what are the best available options in the market, let’s have a quick look at their advantages.
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How to Easily Select the Best Gopher Bait?
- When choosing gopher bait, go for the one that’s known to have a successful track record.
- The bait must have a good attractant that smells like food so that the gopher is lured in and tricked into eating it. After taking a few bites only, the gopher bait should prove to be fatal.
- In case it doesn’t work, the animal won’t die but get sick instead, making it immune to that active ingredient in the future. It usually takes a day to work once ingested, and for it to take any longer indicates a bad formula.
Where to Place the Gopher Bait?
- Place the bait on the insides of the gopher’s tunnel that’s almost 18-24 inches from the initial opening in the mound. The tunnel is usually in a horseshoe shape, where the open end indicates the direction in which the tunnel is going.
- To apply granular bait, use a long stick to poke a hole in the tunnel. Slide the granules inside and cover up the hole again. Also, close the opening to the mound.
- When using block bait, shove a piece of it as deep and far into the mound as you can. Push it far inside the mound with the help of a stick and cover the opening of the mound. Otherwise, use a shovel to dig a hole in the ground, place the block of bait in the gopher’s tunnel and cover both the hole and the opening.
- Make sure you treat every mound in your yard if you want to get rid of them completely.
Why is Gopher Bait the Best Treatment Available?
In case you use gopher traps, you will surely get rid of the gophers, but later on, you’d be left to deal with their dead bodies. You would have to remove them from the traps yourself.
As they’re wild animals, they might have fleas, mites, or lice on their bodies and could be covered in dirt and filth. Getting stuck in the trap, their bodies might get bloody, and you wouldn’t want to handle them in such a condition.
Only after a single use of the trap, it might get difficult to handle once it has caught and killed the gopher. The trap can get covered with skin, hair, body fluids, or fecal matter. Cleaning up the mess after each use isn’t an experience that you’d want to go through repeatedly.
Gopher poisons help you avoid all these situations. Baits are a good option as the unused poison will stay in the tunnels underneath the yard and will help you prevent gophers in the future as well.
Be careful when using gopher bait, however, as it is not only poisonous for the gophers but can be fatal if consumed by your pets and children as well.
