Seeing mounds of soil, or open holes in your grass or flowerbeds? Could be a gopher, a vole or a mole.
They all create tunnels and are active underground, but what they eat and the damage they cause varies. They all improve the soil by aerating it and mixing nutrients, but sometimes their habits get them in trouble with gardeners.
Gophers and voles are rodents that eat only plants, doing significant damage in the process. Gophers favor bulbs and roots. Voles go for grass, but also gnaw on shrubs and stems nearest their holes and runways. Moles are NOT rodents; they are meat eaters, feasting on grubs and other insects, especially in lawns. Learn the difference between these critters as the first step in successfully managing them.