how do you know its that.. rather than any of the other night vermin???

i always thought they were a TX thing.. it surprises me in TN .. but i am in MI.. so what do i know.. lol ...

bloodmeal???

any clue what they are after??? ... bulbs?? .. bugs??? .. it matters so as to define if they are vegetarians.. or etc ...

ken

I haven't seen it actually...but the characteristic holes in the yard and in the beds are consistent with the type of digging they do. A few years ago I did see one that was digging holes in our yard. It just left. But now it is attacking the soil around my plants. I have read they are after the worms and grubs in the soil. I have been told to try insecticide for grubs or trapping it. But I have a cat so a trap isn't an option .

my cat was ONLY stupid enough to go in the hav-a-heart trap once.. lol ...

but is your cat out all night???? if you are going after nocturnal pests.. and your cat is in at night.. there shouldnt be a problem.. well.. only one problem.. what to do with it after you trap it ...

ken

Wow, must be the warming Earth drawing them northward. First I knew of this migration. While looking at a website this morning to answer a deer repellent question on this forum, I saw Armadillo Repellent on the I Must Garden website. The company says it's 100% $ back guarantee, so it might be worth trying it. Best of luck.

Kindly,
Jane

(again, I have NO affiliation with this company and I read of this company here on GW, but the deer and the ant repellents work for me)

Here is a link that might be useful: I Must Garden

They are migrating north and east from TX. They are all over TN now except the Smokies. All they really need is a water source and January temps that average above 28 degrees. They are originally from South America, much like the oppossum. Nothing really stopped them so I doubt the 'dillos will be stopped either.

If you can, put up a net fence perimeter somewhere around the beds.

'Dillo range is expanding rapidly into the mid west and mid Atlantic states....even into coastal northern states. So y'all better look out!

April, these animals are considered insectivores but also feed on many other arthropods. Earthworms are a favorite. The 9-banded armadillo, the only species you'll ever see, are famous for digging deep, following a whiff of grub aroma. They also burrow for their nesting and sleeping chambers.

We know that they are notoriously difficult to trap, though I did find some plans for traps on line when doing research for an article a few years back. They are very close to being sightless and sort of need to be guided into a trap. But, then what?

Fences won't work with armadillos. They are powerful diggers and their front claws can quickly destroy the typical trap, let alone fence.

I'm all for trying to repel these animals with one of the predator urine products often used for rodents. Even though these are not rodents, they have a strong sense of smell and a prey driven sense of self preservation. A collegue of mine says that blood meal might work on 'yankee ' armadillos! Seriously, it would be worth a try.

One thing for certain is that you shouldn't be tempted to pour poisons, gasoline, moth balls or other toxic substances into the burrows. Don't do things that could have a lasting effect on your soil.

Let us know what you decide to do. Oh, and look for these critters in the early evening or just before dawn. That's when they'd be spotted by workers on the golf courses.