What should you do if you have an armadillo problem?
Once you’ve seen an armadillo, you can’t miss it the next time you see one.
Armadillos are fairly small, weighing about eight to seventeen pounds. It is about the size of an opossum. It can roll its protective armor, covering its head, body, and tail, up into a ball.
Armadillos are burrowing animals and the damage they cause is related to the way they build their dens and look for food. They are used to humans and you often can find one living much too close. And unfortunately, they are becoming all too common near homes and businesses across southern Louisiana.
Armadillos may be cute, but they can cause problems
Just because armadillos appear cute and harmless does not mean you want them around your yard as they can not only be a nuisance, but they can also cause real damage to your property. They will root in your lawn, your vegetable garden and even your flower beds. They’ll dig up your yard looking for their favorite foods, grubs and earthworms.
Worse, they can undermine foundations, sidewalks, and driveways. Sometimes, they’ll even keep you awake at night, rubbing their shells against your house.
And never forget, armadillos may also carry bacteria that can cause leprosy. So no matter what you do, never try to handle or catch these animals yourself!
How to prevent and control damage
People usually turn to armadillo traps first to try and contain the problem. The traps must be large enough to allow the armadillo to enter as they may not be able to enter smaller traps with their large shells. However, successfully baiting these traps can be a problem as armadillos prefer worms which are not easy to keep in a conspicuous place.
The best method to prevent and control armadillo damage is exclusion, when possible. Armadillos can climb and burrow but you can use a fence to keep them out. You have to slant the fence outward to prevent climbing and you have to bury part of the fence to prevent burrowing. The cost of this type of exclusion can add up, and you may well not want to have an outward facing fence running all around your property line.
You can also discourage their residence close by with removing anything they can use for cover. They do not like having their burrows our in the open and will go someplace else to find cover.
Trap and remove
If exclusion efforts fail and if can’t encourage them just to go someplace else, it’s time to call a nuisance wildlife control professional. Dial One Franklynn Pest Control uses traps to humanely remove nuisance wildlife and relocate them to a more appropriate area. We are also a state approved wildlife removal company which means we have received special training and certifications in the safe and humane methods for dealing with animals such as armadillos when they get too close for comfort.
Tags: leprosy, nuisance wildlife, opossum