Armadillos

[Skipper]

Has anyone here got a good method for eliminating a colony of Armadillos that has taken up residence in the ground next to a house. They have a deep tunnel next to the house and come out at night to cause much damage.
Traps? If so, what kind? Guns would be a lot more fun, but it's hard to catch them above ground.
Thanks,
Skip

 

[nalioth]

Live trap.

They're dumb and you can catch one a day.

How you dispose of them is up to you.

 

[texfed]

Most people don't realize dillos are meat eaters. They love things like (I'm being serious!) baked chicken torn into small pieces. We've caught them easily with Havahart live traps simply by putting the trap close to their hole and sticking a handful of chicken in it, sometimes just rubbing drippings from a roast chicken works.
When you live in a city, live trapping is pretty much the only option to get rid of em.
Only downside is fireants....if you have a mound near by, they'll cover the bait.

At a state park near us, the dillos come right up to you and eat meat right out of your hand......first time I saw this , it blew me away!

 

[Art Eatman]

Armadillos go stark raving bonkers over earthworms, too. Fishbait worms. Yummies!

Put the bait out in the late evening and sit around with a .22...

Be careful, though. Armadillos are among the world's most vicious animals. Ever notice 'em on the highway, lying on their backs and waiting to trap a car?

 

[Txhillbilly]

Try putting Mothballs down into their burrows. Most animals cannot stand the smell and will vacate in a very short time.

 

[onebigelf]

Get a weiner dog.

John

 

[waterhill]

www.wildgamerecipes.org

 

[Smoke]

If you take the time to observe them when they run into holes, you may notice they don't go all the way in at first. They usually duck just under the surface with their tail and hindquarters still visible. Move slowly and deliberately and reach down and grab the tail. HOLD ON TIGHT. And by pulling when they reach for a new grip, you can extricate them from the hole.

Should you gather several at one time, I cannot condone turning them loose in the halls of the local high school.

Smoke

 

[Speedo66]

Armadillos can carry leprosy, that is the 9 banded type found in the southern US. It's not urban legend, I double checked before I posted this. Just Google armadillo leprosy. After humans, the only animals that do. Rare to be sure, but who would want to take a chance?

The transmission to humans has occurred, the article I read says it was caused by eating under cooked armadillo meat.

I wouldn't touch them barehanded, and as far as eating them...............?

 

[nalioth]

Read somewhere , don't know if it's urban legend, that they can carry leprosy.

It is not a legend. They do carry leprosy.


If you handle them, wash your hands.

If you're smart, you'll be wearing nice leather gloves (they have sharp claws).

 

[Griz44]

I had one that lived in the back of my work truck for a week or so, he just was not smart enough to jump out. Guess that was my fault for putting him there in the first place, but it sure got a lot of attention when I parked just about anywhere.

 

[ch1966]

From: Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage

Exclusion- Fences or barriers are generally not practical,but a possible option.

Cultural- Clear brush and other cover to reduce habitat.

Repellants- None are registered.

Toxicants- None are registered.

Fumigants- None are registered.

Trapping- Live (box) traps. Leghold traps (Size No.1 or 2). Conibear 220.

Shooting- One of the most commonly used methods.

Other Methods- Soil insecticides that remove food sources will discourage armadillos from feeding in an area.

Care should be taken when placing traps to avoid areas used by nontarget animals.
Good judgement must be used in determining where it is safe to shoot. Check local laws and ordinances before using shooting as a control method.

My advice would be to treat your lawn/garden for grubs and if you still have problems look into trapping or shooting. A local NWCO or ADC operator can provide you with assistance.

 

[Skipper]

Thanks a lot fellows. I knew I could count on you boys from Texas.

Skip

 

[TehK1w1]

Last time we had one around my home we used to stay out at night and take pictures of it. Of course, we had no garden, so it wasn't all that destructive.

 

[Gunsby_Blazen]

I wish that I had awesome problems like this....