It seems like those pesky armadillos are causing more and more problems in Jenkins County. While I have no silver bullet solution to this problem, I can offer a few suggestions that may be of some help.

Armadillos are inclined to be nocturnal animals. In summer, they are inactive during the hottest part of the day and become active in the evening and at night. During winter, this pattern is reversed with activity concentrated in the warmest part of the day.

Unfortunately, the foundation of your house, under your patio deck, or beneath your hot tub is the likeliest place for an armadillo to setup housekeeping. His home is a den which he makes by burrowing underground 2 to 3 feet. Tunnels may be several feet long leading up to the den, and the den itself may be anywhere from 2 to 15 feet long. When the armadillo is ready to make a nest, he constructs a chamber at the end of the den then fills it with dried leaves, grasses, and other plant materials.

Why do armadillos dig? They are in search of insects that live in the soil. In other words, an armadillo is tearing your soil apart looking for insects to consume for food. Unfortunately, an armadillo will continue to tear your yard apart until he gets a full belly! Armadillos are considered scavengers and they will continue to search for food until they find it.

In my opinion, homeowners do have a few options on the table that are used to control armadillos. Carefully study the location where the armadillo digging is occurring. Speculate on where the animal travels. Does it go around the corner of the house or garage? Is there a logical pathway where the animal leaves the woods to enter the yard. Since trapping is one of the best means of control, knowing the above information will be useful. If you have access to a trap, place the trap in the animal's path and then prepare a drift fence made with 8- or 10-inch boards, strips of plywood, or other material to guide the animal into the trap. Traps that open on both ends are best. While using bait such as bananas, fruit, spoiled meat, etc. may help, many times no bait is the best option. As bait is added to these traps, possums and coons will become a major problem. Once these non-target organisms are in the trap, the chance of getting an armadillo is zero.

Another option that is frequently used includes motion detected water sprinklers. These water sprinklers will make a rapid revolution when motion is detected in the yard. As motion is detected, the sprinklers activate. This activation can scare the armadillo, which will lead to his desertion. These type sprinklers can be found at local lawn and garden stores.

Another plan is to hunt the armadillo and eat him for supper! I have heard it is just as good as rattlesnake.

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