---
title: The Top Pros and Cons of DIY Gopher Carbon Monoxide Machine
description: Looking to get rid of gophers without using poison? The DIY Gopher Carbon Monoxide machine is what will do the trick for you. Check out the pros and cons.
image: https://blog.myaipm.com/hubfs/IMG_4159%20(1).png
---
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# The Top Pros and Cons of DIY Gopher Carbon Monoxide Machine
[Paul Townsend](https://blog.myaipm.com/author/paul-townsend) on July, 1 2021
[mailto:?body=https://blog.myaipm.com/pros-and-cons-of-diy-gopher-carbon-monoxide-machines](mailto:?body=https://blog.myaipm.com/pros-and-cons-of-diy-gopher-carbon-monoxide-machines)
.png)
Invasive rodents, such as gophers, can cause significant damage to your property, transmit infectious rodent diseases, and pass along ticks and fleas to pets and humans alike. If you’ve started to notice soil mounds and tunnels on your property, there’s a high chance you’re dealing with a gopher infestation. There are numerous methods, both DIY and professional, designed to treat gopher infestations. The gopher carbon monoxide machine is one such method with a range of different advantages and disadvantages. Take a look at the top pros and cons of owning and using your own gopher carbon monoxide machine and decide for yourself if it is the right fit for you and your property!
#### What Is a Carbon Monoxide Machine?
A carbon monoxide machine can be a valuable resource when dealing with a gopher infestation on large commercial properties. It is a poison-free method to get rid of burrowing rodents. Instead of putting down poisons or other chemicals to eliminate your gopher problem, the carbon monoxide machine pumps carbon monoxide into their burrows, leaving no harmful chemicals behind.
Our technicians first probe for the gopher system, then cover all the open holes and insert the nozzle into the last open hole. When the machine is turned on, it will emit a harmless cloud of smoke that will fill the tunnels. The smoke makes it easy to spot open holes that were missed as the smoke starts to come out. These holes are then covered to ensure the whole system is sealed off and will then fill with carbon monoxide. The machine should run for at least a few minutes per burrow or tunnel, if not more.
#### Advantages of a Carbon Monoxide Machine
A Carbon Monoxide machine can be a helpful tool to utilize in your fight against pervasive gopher populations on your property.
> Using a carbon monoxide machine is safer for the natural ecosystem, as it doesn’t use poisons that could kill other animal populations.
Carbon monoxide is [rat poison without secondary poisoning](https://myaipm.com/pest-control-solutions/carbon-monoxide-the-humane-way-to-control-burrowing-rodents/) risks. Using carbon monoxide directly deals with the gopher population and negates any risk of secondary poising that could occur if a different chemical control method was used. Additionally, the smoke from a gopher carbon monoxide machine has little-to-no effect on the soil itself.
The gopher carbon monoxide machine is an inexpensive option for controlling and removing large gopher populations, making it a popular choice among homeowners. When using a gopher carbon monoxide machine, it is easy to identify and correct leaks, as the smoke quickly alerts users to any exits in the gopher run. Overall, a carbon monoxide machine is very safe for the ecosystem and effective at expelling burrowing rodent populations from your property.
[](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/8488962/8c6656dd-2a9c-4fa7-a109-41d5b41bca47)
#### Disadvantages of a Carbon Monoxide Machine
While a carbon monoxide machine can help effectively control gopher populations around your property, it is not a pest control method lacking in disadvantage. In fact, there are a variety of cons to using a carbon monoxide machine that everyone should be aware of when determining how to combat pest populations on their property.
First, the machine can be finicky.
> It takes practice and knowledge in order to effectively operate. This limitation can be an overwhelming obstacle for first-time users to overcome.
If you’re attempting to use a carbon monoxide machine on your own, dealing with the machine can potentially become frustrating. If this is the case for you, it’s always a good idea to contact a professional pest specialist to assist with the pest removal process and ensure a job well done.
A carbon monoxide machine is also not as effective as other forms of pest control. For example, when compared to using bait stations, carbon monoxide machines simply cannot reach the same number of pests during an equivalent amount of time. To break it down even further, in the same time that it takes to treat one single gopher system with a carbon monoxide machine, bait treatment can tackle twelve different gopher systems. Additionally, it only takes 30 seconds to bait a system, while it can take over 4-6 minutes per system when using a carbon monoxide machine.
These are undeniably significant disadvantages to using a carbon monoxide machine when trying to DIY remove gopher populations from your property. If the gopher population remains even after your attempts to remove them, then it is best to call a professional to help handle the issue.
In conclusion, gophers can create significant damage to your property, requiring lots of costly repairs. It is essential that businesses, school districts, and cities develop effective methods of treating gophers that suit their unique situations. A DIY gopher carbon monoxide machine can be a great pest-fighting resource for some people, but not for others. Carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of using a carbon monoxide machine. If you’re looking to quickly and effectively treat a gopher issue, be sure to contact a professional who can expertly deal with any and all pest control issues on your property.
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###### About The Author
###### Paul Townsend
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