Steps to take if an armadillo is tearing up your garden.
You worked hard, prepping the soil, sowing the seeds, and caring for the garden you lovingly created. One morning you venture outside only to gasp at the uprooted, overturned, and torn to bits garden of which you were so proud. Obviously, an armadillo is tearing up your garden, and it must stop.
But how do you keep an armadillo from creating a mess and ruining all your hard work? Well, in this article, you’ll learn the basic facts about the pest so you can attack the problem armed with knowledge. After all, the armadillo is armed, so why shouldn’t you be?
Armadillo Facts
These unique critters are quite fascinating. They are not rodents or marsupials, as some would think. They are a mammal closely related to the sloth and anteater. The armadillo is most recognizable by its hard shell. This shell is made of bone and covers its entire back and some parts of the tail. The three-banded armadillo can roll itself into a ball, but all other armadillo types are not flexible at all.
These diggers have strong short legs and strong claws. Armadillo legs and claws are perfect for digging and tearing for food. They eat insects, plants, and sometimes the meat from dead animal carcasses. When pesky armadillos enter your garden, they are most likely looking for delicate plants and insects in the ground.
Armadillo Sightings
If you want to catch an armadillo in the act, unfortunately, they are nocturnal. You can best see them in the hours of dawn and dusk. They like to hide in areas thick with an overgrown brush with access to a water source. They will most of the time be in suburban and agricultural areas in the southern states, as they cannot tolerate the cold.
Is an Armadillo Dangerous?
Quite frankly, the answer to that question depends on who is asking. Armadillos are not known to be particularly harmful to people. If they see you, the first thing they will want to do is run away and hide. However, if you make a living off crops, they are most definitely dangerous to your livelihood.
Steps to Take to Get the Armadillo Out of Your Garden
Getting rid of an Armadillo is not an easy task, whatsoever. Keeping them from ever entering is the best place to start. But, if you already have a problem, it is not likely to go away on its own. The best choice, by far, is to call a wildlife Removal company like the experts at Covenant Wildlife Removal to take care of the pest for you.
Here are some of the steps you can take to turn armadillos away from your yummy garden.
- Installing a proper fence at least 12 inches into the ground may prevent the armadillo from digging under to access your garden and yard.
- Ultrasonic devices are useful around the perimeter of the garden right into the ground. However, these devices may bother small pets and dogs as well.
- Mothballs can be used to stink the armadillos right out. Gardeners can spread them around the garden and perimeter as well as drop them directly into the holes.
- Gardeners can soak a towel or rag in a particularly pungent substance like ammonia, bleach, or vinegar. The more it burns your nose, the worse it is for the armadillo. Drop it down into the hole and drive them out.
- Placing a door of sorts in the entrance to the hole will allow the armadillo to get out but not back in.
- Trapping an armadillo in a live trap can be tricky. Try baiting it with fruit or worms.
- Finally, call a wildlife removal company to get it out for good.
Covenant Wildlife Removal
The friendly and knowledgeable staff at Covenant can take care of the armadillo or any other pesky problem without you having to lift a finger. You see, several of the garden diggers may be protected animals and will require humane removal and relocation, too. Once the problem animal is gone, a professional technician from our team will eliminate entry points, relocate the animal, and clean up the affected areas making sure the armadillo does not return.
When finding the damage done to your garden by an armadillo, your best option is to call out the staff at Covenant Wildlife Removal. As soon as you notice the damage, call us out for a no-obligation consultation to immediately remediate your issue. You can trust us to keep armadillos from ever tearing up your garden again.
