Southern California
Gopher Activity in
Southern California
What Homeowners Should Know
Gophers aren't just a spring or summer problem — in Southern California, they're active all year long. Our mild climate means they never hibernate, never slow down, and never take a season off. Once a gopher settles in, it tends to stay, expanding tunnels and feeding daily beneath your yard.
Understanding their habits helps you act early, protect your landscape, and avoid costly repairs.
Know Your Pest
Quick Facts About Gophers
They spend nearly their entire lives underground, digging and feeding.
Their claws and teeth are sharp enough to chew through PVC irrigation lines.
A single tunnel system can stretch more than 600 feet.
They live 1–3 years and reproduce quickly — up to three litters a year in irrigated urban areas.
They're herbivores, feeding on grass, roots, and plant material.
Poor eyesight, but excellent touch and smell make them efficient diggers.
The Local Factor
Southern California gives gophers everything they need to thrive.
Our soft, sandy soils are effortless to dig through, especially in neighborhoods with loamy ground. Regular irrigation keeps the soil moist, making tunneling even easier than in dry, compacted areas. Add in our mild, year-round climate — no hibernation, no downtime — and gophers stay active every month of the year.
Well-watered lawns, gardens, and landscapes also provide a steady food supply of roots, bulbs, and tubers, helping gophers grow, feed, and reproduce quickly. While they avoid rocky or heavily compacted clay soils, most Southern California yards offer ideal conditions.
During the rainy season (November–March), the softened ground boosts activity, while summer heat simply pushes them deeper or toward irrigated areas.
Year-Round Threat
Seasonal Activity Breakdown
January – February
High ActivityWinter rains soften the soil, making digging effortless. Gophers are actively tunneling and breeding during this time.
March – May
Peak ActivityThis is the busiest season. Spring breeding is in full swing, and young gophers begin establishing new territories. Homeowners see the highest number of fresh mounds.
June – August
Moderate ActivityExtreme heat can push gophers deeper underground, but in irrigated yards they remain active. They continue feeding and expanding tunnels where moisture is available. You may see fewer mounds and think the gophers have moved on — but they haven't. During hot weather, they simply dig deeper to stay cool, continuing their tunneling out of sight.
September – November
High ActivityFall brings a second surge. As the soil softens again, gophers ramp up feeding and tunnel expansion.
December
Moderate to High ActivityGophers stay active through early winter, maintaining and enlarging their main tunnel systems.
What This Means for Your Yard
In Southern California, there's never a true "off season." Gophers can cause damage any month of the year — and the longer they stay, the more extensive (and expensive) the repairs can become.
It can take 1 to 3 visits to trap successfully. With our annual gopher control program, a licensed technician returns every other week to check your traps and keep activity under control.
Goodbye Gopher is here to help you stay ahead of the activity cycle with safe, effective, and reliable service that protects your home, your landscape, and the people and pets you love.