Pests - Armadillos
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  We have a yard problem that we cannot find an answer for. The armadillos have dug so many deep holes in my mother’s yard that the yard is unsafe for her to walk in. The holes must be filled before mowing season. Could you tell us what we can do to rid the yard of these pests? We are not having any luck with box traps.

  Armadillos can be a major nuisance in home landscapes, and have been known to cause a great deal of damage. While nothing is 100% fool-proof, there are some options. Armadillos tend to be attracted to well maintained landscapes, where there is ample moisture, and earthworms, one of their favorite foods. They will also feed on grubs and other soil borne insects. If you have grubs you could use a soil insecticide such as Diazinon or Dursban to eradicate their food source. This may lead to a feeding frenzy while they look for food. If there is a small area that you need to protect, protective fencing can be used. The fence needs to be 24 inches high with half buried below the surface. Traps can work provided they are large enough to capture the animal. Baiting them with earthworms works fairly well. Two ways they can be used are either buying a container of worms from a bait store and leaving that open, or putting live earthworms in an old nylon stocking with some soil to prevent them from drying out. If you live in an area where shooting is legal, that is another option, but only in limited areas. One source said that cooked properly, armadillos are quite tasty! Good luck.

  Something has been digging up the grass in my back yard. Whatever it is tears out most of the grass but leaves the soil fairly smooth. I read in the paper a few weeks ago about skunks in Massachusetts digging up grass to get to grubs. I don’t think skunks are the culprit, but am wondering if armadillos could be the cause. Our back yard borders heavy woods and is not fenced in. Can you recommend a good grubicide to use next year, or are there any other solutions?

  Armadillos can do quite a bit of damage in a short period of time, and seem to pick on the best manicured yards, because while they do eat grubs, they prefer earthworms, which tend to be present in good soils. Armadillos are nocturnal and can attack anytime from sunset to dawn. In the spring, when the attacks begin again, you might try traps or baits to catch them. While there are numerous good grub controls, from Dursban to Diazinon, if you have a lot of earthworms, you don’t want to damage those.

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