How Do You Keep Armadillos Out Of Your Garden

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How to Keep Armadillos from Ruining Your Landscaping or Garden

Armadillos have no place in a perfectly manicured lawn or a lush-green garden. Although they are neat animals, armadillos will stop at nothing to dig out underground insects and grubs for a feast. Armadillos are nuisance animals that are common in southern states and classified as pest animals.

When a single armadillo finds its way to your lawn, forget that landscaping that cost you lots of money, this grub-lover is ready to move huge amounts of soil to find its favorite meal and you'll wake up to find ground tunnels and fresh piles of dirt around your lawn — you don't want to imagine what a group of them can do.

Armadillos don't spare vegetable gardens either. On their quest to find their prey these animals will dig up holes in your garden, exposing the roots of plants and attacking anything in their path. They will dig tunnels under your flower beds, shrubs, trees, woodpiles, even under sidewalks and porches.

Armadillos are nocturnal animals and while everyone is asleep, they are hard at work creating ground tunnels and having the time of their lives picking up grubs and underground insects.

This constant digging of holes is not healthy for lawns and gardens, but these armadillos aren't concerned with that, they're only concerned with their insatiable appetite and there is no stopping them, except if you take some drastic measures.

These animals are certainly a nuisance and you should keep them from ruining your landscaping or garden, here are some of the ways you can do that.

Close all burrows in your garden

If you have an armadillo problem in your garden, with holes and piles of dirt littered around, you can start solving this problem by filling up all of these holes. Close armadillo burrows with dirt and some gravel to make it less easy for the tunnel digger.

However, armadillos won't leave your property because you closed their burrows, remember they're expert diggers, and they'll dig some more holes. Most times, armadillos do not only burrow into the ground to feed, but they also stay there to hide away from predators.

So, if you close an armadillo burrow with the animal inside, the armadillo will certainly dig itself out through another hole. This shouldn't surprise you, they're naturals. So what to do?

Don't bother with repellents

Armadillos are one of those animals with a very delicate sense of smell. This has led some people to think that you can deter these creatures with foul-smelling chemicals and potions made from the urine of their natural predators.

Well, you should know that dumping mothballs or ammonia-soaked towels into armadillo burrows are ineffective ways of making them leave your property.

In spite of their very sensitive sense of smell, repellents do not work well in discouraging armadillos from leaving their burrows, they even may bury the foul-smelling substance or dig up a different tunnel, this method simply doesn't work.

How to Keep Armadillos from Ruining Your Landscaping or Garden

Make your garden unattractive

You can get armadillos to leave your property if you take away the only thing they came for; insects and grubs. Now, this may seem like an impossible thing to do, but you can actually reduce the population of underground insects and grubs on your property by introducing beneficial nematodes in your garden or lawn.

These nematodes are parasitic worms that feed on the same types of insects that armadillos come for. By spreading these worms on your flower beds and lawns, the population of underground insects and grub will quickly reduce and your property will no longer be a rich hunting site for armadillos. And with their food gone, they will have no choice but to go looking elsewhere.

Trap and relocate them

Trying to get rid of armadillos by trapping and killing them is absolutely unnecessary. Killing armadillos is not only inhumane but can be illegal because they are protected species in some states.

However, you can trap armadillos and relocate them. Trapping and relocation are actually one of the most effective ways of getting rid of this nuisance wildlife from your property and there are many good cage traps for live trapping.

When you trap an armadillo, be sure to relocate it as soon as possible, you don't want to keep it trapped for too long and risk harming the poor creature. Armadillos are really gentle animals and do not deserve any form of harsh treatment.

Fence your property

Fencing your property can be the most effective way to keep armadillos out. When all other methods have failed, this is sure to work. However, when installing a fence, make sure the

fence is sturdy and goes down a foot or more into the ground. If the fence isn't deep enough, this night digger will dig its way beneath it and get into your property.

The fence doesn't have to be high, just deep enough. Installing a fence to keep armadillos out is only a good idea if you have a very serious and recurring armadillo problem.

If you have an armadillo problem and can't seem to get them to stay away from your property despite all your effort, it may be time to invite professionals to come to take a look.

Lindsey Stout

Lindsey Stout is a freelance writer who loves being able to write about her true passion - animals! She lives in Pennsylvania with her boyfriend and 3 cats. When not working, she enjoys reading, working on her blog, or spending time outside enjoying nature.