Armadillos are notorious for their digging behavior. Once these creatures are in the vegetable gardens, they will soon create multiple hazardous holes and demolish crops.
If your garden is being damaged by these creatures you might ask:” how to get rid of armadillos once and for all?”
Here is a breakdown of the most effective solutions for removing those pests from your garden. Check them out and select the best way that meets your needs, budget, and time constraints. Read on to discover more at gardening101.net!
What Is An Armadillo?
There are multiple types of armadillo, yet the most common species in the United States is the nine-banded armadillo.
It has a dark gray-brown oval-shaped body, a long, tapering tail, and a long head with a pointy snout. Besides, it has four short legs with strong claws for digging shallow holes.
The most remarkable feature of this creature is its unique armor-like shell. It is the only western mammal that has a shell.
How Do Armadillos Harm Your Garden?
With its cute and harmless appearance, how can they destruct your garden and vegetation?
The answer is their digging behavior. In the search for food, these pests can burrow holes throughout the yard, about 3-5 inches wide and 1-3 inches deep.
They may uproot your plants and seedlings and damage underground pipes or wires when digging. Besides, they will leave their tracks around your yard and sidewalk.
So, how to remove those unwelcome guests before they destroy your lawn and yard? Let’s move on to the part below to discover how to get rid of armadillos.
How To Get Rid Of Armadillos? Top 7 For The Homeowners
We will bring you the top 7 methods of removing armadillos from your garden. Thus, you can consider and choose the best way for your conditions.
#1 Restrict Their Food Source
Armadillos wander into your garden in search of food. Thus, the first and easiest method is to eliminate their food source.
What do they eat? Their primary food sources include invertebrates, such as cockroaches, ants, worms, and grasshoppers.
To get rid of those insects, you can remove their “potential homes”, including shrubs, bushes, and tall grass. You also need to clean up their nutrient sources, such as the fallen overripe fruit or dense shrubbery.
#2 Install An In-Ground Fence
Another good solution is an in-ground fence. Your fence’s suggested height and depth would be around 24 inches and 12 inches, respectively.
Thus, you can prevent nuisance armadillos from burrowing right underneath or climbing above the fence to get into your garden.
You also need to build your fence from sturdy material and have no large spaces for these garden pests to crawl through.
The downside of this method is the cost of fencing materials. It can be too hefty if you have a large garden perimeter.
#3 Set Up An Electric Fence
An electric fence is also an effective method to discourage armadillos and other intruders from trying to enter your property.
The recommended height and depth of an electric fence are similar to the regular in-ground one. Aside from the diameters, pay attention to the material. You will need to use strong material, or these pests’ sharp claws will damage your fence and get into your yard in no time.
An electric fence on high amperage could harm your pets and other non-target animals.
Thus, keep it operating on low amperage if you plan to set it up. This way, your fence only jolts and frightens armadillos without harming them and other animals.
#4 Use Their Natural Repellents
Armadillos have poor eyesight, so they rely on their acute sense of smell to locate prey and avoid predators.
Pungent odors can disrupt their sensitive noses and make it hard to identify food sources. Thus, place the natural repellents with sharp and strong smells, such as cayenne pepper or garlic, where you suspect those creatures are hiding.
You can also place cayenne powder or chili powder near a potential food source. The capsaicin in cayenne peppers is a powerful irritant that causes inflammation if eaten.
The minor drawback of this method is that you will need to re-apply the natural or homemade repellents regularly as they are easily washed away.
#5 Buy Commercial Repellents
If you want a more effective and long-lasting solution, let’s try commercial armadillo repellents.
The products usually contain castor oil or fish oil substances, delivering an unpleasant odor. Applying these products around the garden triggers the armadillos’ strong sense of smell, causing them to leave and find another good-tasting food source.
Note: ensure you choose the biodegradable products which will harm your pets and plants in your yards.
#6 Armadillo Live Trap
What else can you do to take armadillos away from your yard? You can use armadillo traps to capture them and relocate them to another place.
Those creatures have poor eyesight, so they depend on common pathways, making their behavior predictable. Besides, they are most active at night. You should place armadillo traps on their way back home or near their burrow entrances before dusk.
Note: Some states allow you to trap those creatures yet ban transporting and relocating them. Hence, always check your state’s regulations before trapping and relocating those medium-sized mammals.
#7 Contact A Local Pro
What if there are too many armadillos in your yard? What should you do to clear them out of your lawn?
The best way in this situation is to contact a local animal control company. The professional technicians will provide a customized solution to your property and help trap armadillos in the shortest period.
Furthermore, they will help identify where the issue starts, fill in holes, and deter other wild animals from wandering and damaging your garden.
Conclusion
Above are the top 7 methods on how to get rid of armadillos. Let’s consider your conditions while assessing those methods so you can select the most suitable option.
Keep in mind that those mammals are wanderers – as some leave your property, others might enter. It is necessary to maintain a long-term control method after you cleared them out of your area.