Roots of plants down one single row have been eaten away; which pest is most likely responsible?

• A. Nematodes
• B. Pocket gophers
• C. Moles
• D. Rabbits

Answer: (B)

Damage concentrated in one row from underground feeding points to a subterranean root feeder. Pocket gophers live in underground burrows and chew on plant roots as they travel through their tunnels, which can strip roots along a single row and cause wilting or dieback of that row. They also push soil to the surface, creating fresh mounds or ridges that hint at their activity. Nematodes tend to cause root galls and general stunting rather than clear root removal in a row. Moles mainly eat insects and create surface tunnels with distinctive mounds, not root destruction. Rabbits chew above-ground parts, so their damage is typically on stems and leaves rather than roots. The combination of root loss along a row plus possible surface mounds is most consistent with pocket gophers.