This NebGuide discusses how to use tractor-drawn mechanical bait applicators to manage pocket gophers. It describes pocket gophers, their damage and costs. Selecting Bait Application Rate Other Control Methods Assessing Control Safety Precautions and Legal Restrictions Acknowledgments Burrow Builder Companies Burrow Builders Burrow builders create tunnels through the soil and drop toxic grain bait into them. The machine is drawn by tractors across a field where the tunnels intercept the burrows of pocket gophers.
Pocket gophers enter the tunnels and eat the toxic bait.
They are used to reduce pocket gopher damage in alfalfa fields, pastures, orchards, windbreaks, cemeteries, golf courses, parks and playing fields. They occasionally are used on rough terrain such as in forested areas. Machines for these areas require free-floating hitches and are drawn by tracked vehicles. Poor soil conditions can sometimes limit your success with burrow builders. Also, certain areas, like golf courses, may require less disturbance to sod or plant roots than what burrow builders can provide.