The annual grains do not establish large underground storage structures, and there is not enough food for pocket gophers to survive year round. Grain buffer strips. Planting buffer strips of grain around hay fields provides unsuitable habitat around the fields and can minimize immigration of gophers. Noise making devices and plants reported to repel pocket gophers have not been proven effective. To poison gophers, the bait must be placed in their tunnel systems by hand or by a special machine known as a burrow builder.
Strychnine acts rapidly and gophers sometimes die within an hour after consuming a lethal dose.
If the label has directions for use with a burrow builder machine then it is a restricted-use pesticide. Underground baiting for pocket gopher control with strychnine presents minimal hazards to nontarget wildlife, either by direct consumption of bait or by eating poisoned gophers. Poison bait spilled on the ground surface may be hazardous to ground-feeding birds such as mourning doves. Anticoagulants are now available for pocket gopher control. Follow label instructions when using.