Managing Common House and Garden Pests

Common household and garden pests differ across the United States and North America. Typically, house and garden pests include rats, mice, voles, pocket gophers, skunks, raccoons, foxes, deer and birds such as woodpeckers and starlings. The answers to a few common questions can be found under the 'Questions from the Community' tab.  We generally differentiate between 'household and backyard' pests and 'agricultural' pests. Agricultural pests are those that can disrupt larger farming ventures, such as pocket gophers and ground squirrels eating alfalfa, or deer eating corn. Often, the species are the same, but the methods that we use to manage them may differ. For example, we would not want to use strobe lights and alarms to scare deer in your backyard, but this method is fine to use in a large agricultural field.

Utah State University Extension has a large library of resources to help you with your household and backyard pests. Simply go to extension.usu.edu and type in the animal you need help with. Below are a few quick links for common conflict species. Click on the name of the animal to go to that resource.  We also have a 'Featured Animal' section that highlights many of these species within this website: Featured Animals

​Bats
Mule Deer
Mice
Raccoons
Rabbits 
Rats
Skunks

Question From the Community: I've lived trapped an animal.  Now, how do I get rid of it?

To find this article and more at USU Extension, follow this link : nuisance wildlife trapping

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Pocket Gophers (Tho­momys spp.) and Voles (Microtus spp.) in Yards and Schools

Pocket gophers and Voles are two common species that can cause damage to either households or agricultural lands. Pocket gophers live in extensive tunnels underground and can damage roots of grass and trees.  Voles forage above ground, causing damage to grass and gardens. Here is a video that explains these 2 species and offers some advice for controlling them in areas such as houses, backyards, and schools. 

Trapping Pocket Gophers 
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Trapping pocket gophers can often be the most efficient way to alleviate pocket gopher damage around your yard. In small agricultural productions, trapping can be more cost-effective than other methods. Additionally, when trapping one knows that the culprit has been caught; this can reduce time and waste compared to using non-contact methods such as poisoning or fumigation, in which the animal dies underground so you don't really know if the problem is resolved. While trapping can be easy once you get the hang of it, knowing how to find the burrow and then setting the trap can take some time to learn. Below, I have provided some quick videos that show students finding the burrow (notice how the rebar drops into the ground) and insert the traps into the burrow. We also provide 2 videos to demonstrate how to set a Macabee and a DK-1 pocket gopher trap.  

In this video, the students are using a piece of rebar to poke around the soil pile. They press down onto the rebar as they place it about 12 inches from the center of the soil pile. When the rebar finds the burrow, it will sink quickly down into the opening. From there, one would use a shovel to dig straight down until one can see the burrow and there is room to insert a trap. 

In this video, a student has already found the burrow and made an opening to place 2 pocket gopher traps. The pocket gopher could be on either side of the opening created by the student. By placing a trap in each direction of the burrow, one increases the chances of capturing the pocket gopher. This is a demonstration. Had we actually been setting the traps, they would be connected to a stake, via a piece of wire. Once we set the traps, we would hammer the stake into the ground. By doing so, we can ensure that a predator does not dig out the captured pocket gopher and run away with the trap. 

In this video we demonstrate how to set a Macabee pocket gopher trap. Notice how the little hook on the very front has to catch the bar in order to set the trap. 
​ When setting the trap in the burrow, keep all fingers behind the silver tension plate. 

In this video we demonstrate how to set a DK-1 pocket gopher trap. These traps can be a little trickier to set until you get hang of it.
Notice the direction in which you need to swivel the swing. 
When setting the trap in the burrow, keep all fingers behind the vertical(ish) bar.

Managing Agricultural Wildlife Damage Management

Agricultural wildlife damage management is often happening on a larger scale than backyard wildlife damage. However, many species that cause conflict overlap between the two, including deer, pocket gophers, voles, and birds. Many of the options for Agricultural Wildlife Damage Management differ because we are able to control the animals differently when they are not around human development. For example, some pesticides are not labelled for use anywhere near humans or pets. Similarly, one cannot discharge a firearm within most municipal boundaries in the United States, so that option is only available to farmers and ranchers. This is why you may read different recommendations for the same species, based on if the animal is in one's backyard or in a large agricultural field. 

Pocket Gophers​ in Agriculture

​Pocket gophers are often the number one vertebrate pest species in agriculture production such as alfalfa. In fact, some research estimate that pocket gopher populations are 4x higher in alfalfa fields than in natural vegetation. Pocket gopher can also damage small productions and even residential areas. We have provided a link to a 10-minute video that overviews pocket gopher damage management in alfalfa.

In Utah, Extension professionals have been studying methods to improve pocket gopher management in agricultures fields for nearly 2 decades. Their recent fact sheet summarizes their research findings and provides an overview to most management techniques available to producers. 

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PUBLICATIONS

We are constantly updating and researching new ideas.  Below are links to several recent studies to manage agricultural wildlife damage management.

Case Study Involving Pocket Gopher Damage Abatement in Alfalfa

Replication of a 1970s Study on Domestic Sheep Losses to Predators on Utah's Summer Rangelands

Using IPM Techniques to Improve Cooperator Effectiveness to Mitigate Damage Caused by Townsend Ground Squirrels

Controlling Piute Ground Squirrels in Southwest Utah

Utah Prairie Dogs

Utah prairie dogs (Cynomys parvidens) present a unique challenge to wildlife damage management.  They can create conflicts in agricultural production and for human health. And they are listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Therefore, they have special protections and care must be taken when trying to manage conflicts.  If you think that you have Utah prairie dogs on your property, please contact the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources for help. Their office number is +1 (435)865-6100.

In the meantime, I have provided some presentations and videos about Utah prairie dogs, so that you might learn more about the animals causing you conflict. 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH THE SPECIALIST

Our resident specialist Dr. Nicki Frey answers your animal related questions on a weekly basis on our page "Questions from the Community", and selects one to highlight.  For more questions and answers, see our "Questions from the Community" page.  Have a question? Go ahead and ask it below, we'll answer it within a day or two.

How to Identify a Ground Squirrel versus a Utah Prairie Dog?

Click here to learn how to tell the difference between Ground Squirrels and Utah Prairie Dogs
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Questions from the community

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS?