Early spring means early gopher population boom in Calgary

CALGARY – They’re small and cute but these rodents are officially classified as pests by the City of Calgary.

Richardson’s Ground Squirrel can be seen in city parks, sports fields and on boulevards along streets.

But their holes and burrows can be a hazard to people, pets and property. This year, they’re causing problems much earlier than normal.

“They’re finding that because the gophers are out early, they also have food early, so they’re able to reproduce early. The activity is all compounded early,” Bill Martin with Martin’s Pest Control said.

Martin’s has been asked to control the gopher numbers at the Mid-Sun Community Garden to reduce potential damage.

“There’s just too many of them,” Al Rogers with the Mid-Sun Community Association said.  “We’re overrun with them. The gardeners aren’t crazy about having them around because they step in the holes and they’re digging into their plants.”

The gophers can also damage underground sprinkler lines, electrical wiring and even damage sidewalks and driveways.

The City of Calgary has an annual gopher control program for parks and school property.

“We actively control in the spring. We typically have our hot spots that we go to year-to-year and check, but we also respond to 311 calls,” Lincoln Julie, the Habitat Superintendent with Calgary Parks, said.

The biggest concern is holes that can injury people – or even pets – playing in sports fields and parks.

In cemeteries they’ve caused tombstones to fall, damaged equipment mowing grass and, next to roadways, they’re a traffic hazard.

“If the gophers are running across the road, there’s a chance the drivers could swerve to miss the gopher and end up running into someone else or going off the road,” Julie said.

The methods to control gopher numbers include injecting smoke and carbon monoxide in underground dens or using treated bait and traps.

But public safety is number one, according to Bill Martin.

“If you’re putting out material to get rid of gophers, then number one, you need to make sure that anything that’s not a target is not going to be injured by it.”

Gophers can also cause damage in private yards, especially those backing onto parks and school yards.

The city has some tips to help owners keep the gophers out and what to do if you have a problem.

Call 3-1-1 or go to the City Parks website.