What Do Gophers Eat?
Understanding a gopher’s diet allows for the development of more effective control strategies. For example, if you know which plants or crops these rodents prefer, you can prioritize protective measures or baiting strategies that align with their feeding habits. Using ineffective baits or deterrents wastes time and resources.
Bait Selection and Placement: Gophers are highly selective feeders. Knowing their preferred foods—such as roots, tubers, bulbs, or certain vegetables—helps in choosing baits that are more attractive to them. This improves the efficiency of trapping or poisoning programs and reduces the likelihood of non-target animals consuming the bait.
Damage Assessment and Prevention: By understanding what gophers eat, you can predict the type of damage they are likely to cause in a given area. For instance, if they favor root vegetables, agricultural crops will be at higher risk, whereas in turf or golf courses, damage may appear as mounded soil or dead patches. This knowledge enables preemptive action to minimize economic or aesthetic losses.
Habitat and Behavior Insights: A gopher’s diet often reflects its habitat preferences. Observing what they consume can help identify areas of high activity, burrow locations, and the best points for intervention. It also informs landscape management practices, such as choosing plant species that are less attractive to gophers in sensitive areas.
Sustainable and Integrated Management: Diet knowledge supports integrated pest management (IPM) by allowing non-lethal strategies where appropriate. For example, crop rotation or planting less palatable species can reduce gopher pressure without heavy reliance on chemical control. This approach minimizes environmental impact while still managing the population effectively.
Predicting Population Trends: The availability of preferred foods influences gopher reproduction and population growth. Knowing what sustains them allows for anticipation of population surges and timely implementation of control measures before severe infestations occur.
Accurate knowledge of gopher feeding habits ensures that control tactics, particularly baits or poisons, are placed in ways that minimize risks to pets, wildlife, or humans, enhancing safety and regulatory compliance.
What Gophers Eat
Gophers are herbivorous rodents known for their extensive burrowing habits and can have a significant impact on their ecosystems. What gophers eat primarily depends on their species and the availability of vegetation in their habitat. Generally, gophers feed on a wide variety of plant materials, including:
Roots and Tubers: Gophers primarily feed on underground plant parts, including roots, tubers, and bulbs. They are particularly attracted to nutrient-rich roots of vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and beets. These provide essential energy and make up the bulk of their diet.
Herbaceous Plants: Above-ground portions of herbaceous plants, like leaves, stems, and shoots, are sometimes eaten, especially if the roots are scarce. They will often pull plants into their burrows to feed in safety.
Grasses and Forbs: Native grasses, clovers, and other broadleaf plants are commonly consumed. These provide both nutrients and moisture, especially in wild or non-cultivated areas.
Ornamental Plants and Flowers: In landscaped areas, gophers may feed on bulbs of ornamental plants such as tulips, daffodils, and irises. These can cause significant damage to gardens and lawns.
Tree and Shrub Roots: Gophers occasionally feed on the roots of young trees and shrubs, which can stunt growth or kill small plants. This is especially problematic in orchards or newly planted landscapes.
Occasional Fungi: Some studies show that gophers will consume underground fungi when available, though this is a minor part of their diet compared to plant material.
Gophers tend to favor high-calorie, easily digestible roots and tubers, and will ignore tougher, fibrous plants unless other food is scarce. Their feeding habits often determine where they establish burrows, typically near their preferred food sources.
Do Gophers Eat Tubers?
Gophers are generally selective, preferring tubers that are soft, nutrient-rich, and easily accessible:
Potatoes: One of the most commonly targeted tubers, potatoes are highly attractive to gophers due to their high starch content and soft texture, and because they are easy to dig up and consume.
Carrots: Gophers favor carrots for their sweetness and underground growth habit, making them easy to pull into burrows.
Beets: Both sugar beets and garden beets are susceptible to gopher damage because of their dense, nutrient-rich roots.
Sweet Potatoes: Like regular potatoes, sweet potatoes’ soft, starchy flesh makes them a preferred food source, especially in warmer climates.
Turnips and Rutabagas: These root vegetables are eaten when present in gardens or fields, though they may be slightly less preferred than potatoes or carrots.
Onion and Garlic Bulbs: Although tougher in texture, gophers will consume these bulbs if other, more palatable tubers are unavailable.
Other Root Crops: Less common tubers such as parsnips, radishes, and Jerusalem artichokes may also be eaten, particularly in gardens where gophers are established.
Their choices often depend on availability, soil type, and ease of digging, which is why knowing local planting can help predict which crops are at highest risk.
Do Gophers Eat Vegetables?
Gophers are almost entirely subterranean feeders, so vegetables with accessible roots, bulbs, or tubers are at highest risk:
Root Vegetables: Gophers strongly prefer vegetables that grow underground. Carrots, potatoes, beets, radishes, turnips, and parsnips are particularly attractive because they are nutrient-rich, soft, and easy to pull into burrows.
Bulb Vegetables: Onions, garlic, and shallots are occasionally eaten, especially if more preferred roots are scarce. Tender garlic and onion bulbs in loose soil are most vulnerable.
Tubers: Sweet potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes are targeted due to their starchy, high-calorie content.
Legumes: Gophers may consume the roots of beans and peas, though the above-ground parts are less commonly eaten. Root-feeding can stunt growth or kill seedlings.
Leafy Vegetables: Spinach, lettuce, and chard may be eaten opportunistically, especially if roots or tender shoots can be safely pulled into the burrow.
Seedlings and Young Plants: Many vegetables—tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and melons—are most at risk during early growth stages, as gophers may gnaw roots or lower stems, which can kill or stunt the plant. Mature fruit and foliage are less likely to be eaten.
Other Vulnerable Vegetables: Certain underground-growing members of the brassica family, like kohlrabi or rutabaga, may be eaten, particularly in gardens where gophers are active.
Above-ground foliage is secondary unless it can be dragged into the burrow. Proper soil barriers, raised beds, or targeted baiting can significantly reduce losses.
Do Gophers Eat Ornamental Plants?
Gophers target ornamental plants primarily for their underground storage structures—bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers. They rarely feed on leaves or flowers above ground unless they can pull them into the burrow.
Tulips (Tulipa spp.): One of the most commonly damaged ornamental plants, gophers consume both the bulbs and the shallow roots, often before the plant emerges.
Daffodils (Narcissus spp.): Gophers may eat the bulbs, though these are sometimes less preferred due to their toxicity. Young or stressed bulbs are at higher risk.
Irises (Iris spp.): Rhizomes and roots are highly attractive to gophers, especially in loose or well-drained soil.
Hyacinths (Hyacinthus spp.): Bulbs are targeted for their nutrient content, particularly in early spring before foliage growth.
Crocuses (Crocus spp.): Small bulbs are often eaten entirely, making these among the most vulnerable early-spring flowers.
Lilies (Lilium spp.): Certain lily bulbs are consumed, particularly smaller or tender varieties, though toxicity may reduce preference in some species.
Freesias and Gladiolus: Both are at risk because of their nutrient-rich corms and shallow underground growth habit.
Other Bulbous Perennials: Plants like alliums, ranunculus, and anemones may be occasionally consumed depending on availability and soil conditions.
Damage is often sudden and localized, making preventative measures such as underground barriers, raised beds, or baiting essential in gardens and landscaped areas.
Do Gophers Eat Forbs?
Gophers generally prioritize forbs with fleshy, nutrient-rich underground structures:
Clovers (Trifolium spp.): Both white and red clover are highly attractive due to their nutrient-rich roots and shoots, making them a primary target in pastures, lawns, and meadows.
Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale): Gophers feed on the thick taproots as well as the leaves, particularly in lawns, gardens, and disturbed areas.
Chickweed (Stellaria media): This low-growing, succulent forb is eaten opportunistically for both roots and shoots, especially in moist soil conditions.
Lamb’s Quarters (Chenopodium album): Both the roots and leafy parts are consumed when accessible, making it a minor but frequent food source in agricultural and garden areas.
Wild Lettuce (Lactuca spp.): Tender roots and shoots of wild lettuce are eaten, particularly in less-cultivated fields or open spaces.
Plantain (Plantago spp.): Broadleaf plantains are consumed primarily for their nutrient-dense roots but occasionally for their leaves as well.
Other Native Forbs: Depending on local availability, gophers may feed on low-growing flowering plants with fleshy roots, including certain asters, penstemons, and yarrow.
Above-ground portions of forbs are secondary and usually harvested only if they can be pulled safely into the burrow.
Do Gophers Eat Grass?
Gophers rarely consume grass blades above ground unless food is scarce:
Fescues (Festuca spp.): Gophers often feed on the roots and young shoots of fescue grasses, commonly found in lawns, pastures, and golf courses.
Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon): This warm-season turfgrass is susceptible to gopher feeding, particularly in areas with shallow soil where roots are accessible.
Bluegrass (Poa spp.): Kentucky bluegrass and other Poa species are sometimes eaten, especially in lawns and pastures where gophers are present. They tend to target the rhizomes and roots.
Ryegrass (Lolium spp.): Both annual and perennial ryegrasses are occasionally consumed, as they have tender roots and shoots that are easy for gophers to pull into burrows.
Bromegrass (Bromus spp.): Certain varieties, particularly smooth brome, may be fed upon for roots and lower stems, especially in agricultural or pasture settings.
Native Grasses: In natural habitats, gophers may eat the roots of native bunchgrasses, which are easier to access in sandy or loose soils.
Ornamental Grasses: Some low-maintenance landscape grasses with shallow root systems, such as St. Augustine or Pampas grass, can occasionally be targeted, though they are generally less preferred than forage or turf grasses.
Gophers focus primarily on underground portions—roots, rhizomes, and stolons—which provide the nutrition they need and are easier to harvest safely within their burrow system.
Do Gophers Eat Fruit?
Gophers are predominantly subterranean feeders. They are far more likely to damage the roots and underground portions of fruit plants than to consume the fruit itself. This makes early protection of young trees, vines, and berry plants critical to prevent significant losses:
Berries: Gophers will occasionally feed on strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries, primarily targeting the roots and runners rather than the fruit itself. Strawberries are particularly vulnerable because their shallow root systems are easy for gophers to access.
Citrus Seedlings: Young lemon, orange, and other citrus trees can be damaged when gophers feed on their roots. Mature fruit is rarely eaten, but seedlings may be killed by root feeding.
Apple and Pear Seedlings: Gophers sometimes damage the roots of young apple and pear trees, which can stunt growth or kill the plants. The fruit itself is generally not eaten.
Stone Fruit Seedlings: Peach, plum, cherry, and apricot trees may experience root damage from gophers, particularly when newly planted. Fruit is usually untouched.
Grapevines: Roots and lower portions of young grapevines can be targeted, causing plant stress or death. Mature grapes are rarely eaten.
Occasionally, gophers may feed on the roots of other fruiting plants, such as melons, squash, or pumpkin seedlings, though they generally avoid above-ground fruits unless other food is scarce.
Do Gophers Eat Fungi?
Fungi are not a staple food but can supplement gophers’ diet, particularly in natural areas where these organisms are abundant. They may also aid in hydration and provide certain nutrients that roots and tubers alone do not supply:
Truffles and Underground Fungi: Gophers are known to occasionally feed on subterranean fungi, especially truffle-like species. These are high in nutrients and easy to locate while burrowing.
Mycorrhizal Fungi: Some gophers consume the fleshy fruiting bodies or underground parts of fungi that form symbiotic relationships with plant roots. These fungi are often found in soil-rich habitats with abundant vegetation.
Sclerotia-Forming Fungi: Fungi that form hardened underground structures (sclerotia), such as certain species of Claviceps or Polyporus, can attract gophers because they store concentrated nutrients.
Mushrooms with Underground Stems: Species whose stems extend partially below the soil surface may occasionally be eaten if accessible, though this is less common than root or tuber feeding.
Gophers primarily eat plant roots, tubers, and bulbs, so fungi are generally a minor part of their diet, consumed opportunistically when other preferred foods are limited.
Last Updated: 12/16/2025