To keep armadillos out of your yard, install a sturdy perimeter fence buried at least 12 inches deep, eliminate underground food sources like lawn grubs, and remove dense brush or woodpiles where they burrow. Reducing lawn watering can also deter them, as soft, moist soil attracts armadillos searching for insects. Combining physical barriers with habitat modification provides the most reliable long-term protection.
Understanding Armadillo Behavior in Residential Yards
Nine-banded armadillos are nocturnal mammals known for their armor-like shells and persistent digging habits. They have poor eyesight but an exceptional sense of smell, which they use to locate food beneath the soil surface. Because their diet consists primarily of earthworms, beetle larvae (grubs), ants, and termites, moist lawns with rich organic soil are prime feeding grounds.
When searching for food, armadillos construct small, cone-shaped holes that measure roughly three to five inches wide and several inches deep. Unlike the extensive underground mound networks created when dealing with moles in your yard, armadillo damage is concentrated on the surface. However, their digging can quickly disfigure grass, uproot garden plants, and destabilize flowerbeds overnight.
Armadillos also dig larger burrows for shelter, usually beneath tree roots, rock piles, patio slabs, or dense foliage. These burrows can extend several feet underground and pose structural risks if dug near building foundations or retaining walls.
Install Exclusion Fencing
Physical exclusion is the single most effective way to keep armadillos out of your property. Because armadillos are strong burrowers, standard above-ground fencing is insufficient on its own.
Fencing Specifications
When installing a fence to deter armadillos, pay close attention to depth and height:
- Depth: Extend heavy-duty wire mesh or chain-link fencing at least 12 to 18 inches underground.
- Angle: Flare the buried portion outward away from the yard at a 45-degree angle. When an armadillo attempts to dig straight down at the fence line, it encounters the buried mesh and gives up.
- Height: Ensure the fence stands at least 24 inches high above ground. While armadillos are not great jumpers, they are surprisingly agile climbers when cornered or determined.
Adding buried wire barriers around specific high-value areas, such as vegetable gardens or flowerbeds, is a practical alternative if fencing your entire property line is not feasible.
Remove Food Sources from the Lawn
Armadillos will rarely frequent a lawn that does not offer an abundant food supply. Controlling the population of soil insects, grubs, and invertebrates significantly lowers the chances of an invasion.
Lawn and Grub Management
Overwatering creates damp soil that attracts earthworms and beetle larvae to the upper layer of your turf. Adjust your irrigation schedule to water deeply but infrequently, allowing the top layer of soil to dry out between applications. Hard, dry ground makes digging difficult and uncomfortable for foraging armadillos.
Targeting lawn grubs using nematodes or approved lawn insecticides can also break the food chain. Just as homeowners work to treat fleas in the yard, eliminating subterranean pests starves armadillos of their primary food supply. When deciding if you should spray your yard for insect pests or apply grub controls, always select treatments intended for outdoor lawn care and follow product application guidelines closely.
Modify the Habitat to Limit Shelter
Armadillos prefer sheltered, low-visibility spaces to establish their daytime burrows. Eliminating suitable nesting sites encourages them to move elsewhere.
- Clear Brush and Debris: Remove piles of fallen branches, leaf litter, and brush from your property edges.
- Elevate Stored Items: Store firewood, construction materials, and garden supplies off the ground on raised racks.
- Trim Overgrown Shrubs: Prune low-hanging branches on bushes and shrubs so light can penetrate beneath the plant canopy.
- Secure Structures: Install heavy hardware cloth around the bases of decks, sheds, and porches to prevent armadillos from digging burrows underneath.
Applying the same habitat modification strategies used to get rid of squirrels in the yard—such as trimming dense vegetation and securing structural openings—helps make your entire outdoor area less inviting to wildlife.
Safety Considerations for Families, Pets, and Chemicals
While armadillos are generally gentle animals that avoid human contact, they can defend themselves with sharp claws if cornered or handled. Wild armadillos are also known carriers of bacteria, including the bacterium that causes leprosy (Hansen’s disease), as well as rabies in rare instances.
General Safety Practices
- Never attempt to touch or catch a wild armadillo by hand.
- Keep pets indoors or on a leash at night when armadillos are most active to prevent aggressive encounters.
- If a pet comes into contact with an armadillo or sustains a scratch or bite, clean the area with mild soap and water and consult a veterinarian immediately.
- If using granular insecticides or liquid insect controls to reduce lawn grubs, keep children and pets off the treated lawn until the product has dried or been thoroughly watered in according to label instructions.
- Consider consulting a licensed pest control professional when using chemical treatments or managing persistent wildlife issues.
Live Trapping and Relocation Options
If an armadillo has already established a burrow in your yard, live trapping may be necessary to remove the individual animal.
Place a sturdy wire cage trap directly in the armadillo’s path, along a wall, or right outside an active burrow entrance. Create a funnel guide using wooden boards arranged in a V-shape leading toward the trap entrance, as armadillos rely heavily on tactile boundaries to navigate. Bait is generally unnecessary if the trap is positioned correctly in their travel path, though earthworms placed inside a small mesh bag can help lure them inside.
Before attempting to trap an armadillo, check local and state wildlife laws. Many regions regulate the trapping, transportation, and release of wild animals. If live trapping is permitted, check the trap daily to minimize distress to the animal, and contact your local wildlife agency for approved release sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do armadillos bite or attack humans and pets?
Armadillos are non-aggressive creatures that typically run away when threatened. However, they possess long, sharp claws used for digging that can inflict injury if they feel trapped, handled, or cornered by humans or pets.
What scents or natural repellents keep armadillos away?
Strong scents like cayenne pepper, castor oil, and garlic are sometimes used to deter armadillos. While these scents can temporarily disrupt their sense of smell, they require frequent reapplication and are generally less effective than buried fencing and habitat management.
Why are armadillos digging in my yard only at night?
Armadillos are nocturnal, especially during warmer spring and summer months. They venture out after dark to forage when the soil is cool and moist, making insects and grubs easier to detect and dig up.
Conclusion
Managing an armadillo issue requires a combination of physical barriers, landscape modifications, and food supply control. By burying perimeter fencing, reducing soil moisture, clearing brush piles, and managing lawn grubs, you can successfully protect your lawn and garden from armadillo damage. When wildlife challenges persist or require chemical treatments, consulting a licensed pest management professional ensures safe and long-lasting results.