How to Identify a Mole or Gopher
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A mole hole vs. a gopher hole.
Examine the actual holes they leave. Both are like little volcanic cones. The main difference is that gopher holes look like Mt. Saint Helens, with the hole decidedly taking up most of one side of the mound. A mole hole has a hole in the middle, just like the model you made in grade school with vinegar and baking soda. - 2
Use this map to determine if moles, gophers or both are living in your area.
Consider your location. To your left if a map of where moles, gophers (and voles) are found in the United States. Moles are in blue, gophers in red. If you live in the Northeast, it's unlikely you have common pocket gophers. If your pest looks somewhat like a gopher but huge and has a brazen disregard for your garden, you probably have a woodchuck. - 3
This is a pocket gopher.
Try to catch a glimpse of your lawn and garden pest. This is awfully hard, but if you do happen to see your critter, compare it to the pictures in this article, to the left and above. Also, gophers tend to be larger than moles with more obvious teeth. Moles are smaller with longer, sensitive noses. If it's moving slowly enough that you can see more than that clearly, it's probably dead so your problem is solved.
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