NAMPA — The Canyon County pest control district has declared one rodent a pest worth trapping: the pocket gopher.

The gopher pushes soil from the burrow to the surface with it forefeet and chest. This forms a characteristic horseshoe shaped mound 8 to 24 inches in diameter and 6 inches high or so.

Gopher burrowing can cause damage to equipment and livestock injuries, said Vanessa Corriher-Olson, AgriLife Extension forage specialist in Overton.

Some other widely advertised gopher control methods are largely ineffective. Identifying gopher problems Gophers and moles should both be blocked and trapped, but methods vary.

Learn how to get gopher problems under control at a workshop Saturday, April 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the UC Santa Cruz Farm.