How Much Does Armadillo Removal Cost? [2026 Data]

Normal Range: $175 - $500

If you want to remove an armadillo from your property, expect to pay an average of $275, but the price may vary depending on the severity of the infestation and if it is in a difficult-to-access area.

How we get this data
 An armadillo walking through grass
Photo: Juan Ramon Diaz Colodrero / 500Px Plus / Getty Images
 An armadillo walking through grass
Photo: Juan Ramon Diaz Colodrero / 500Px Plus / Getty Images
Cost Insights
  • The level of infestation affects the overall price, ranging between $50 to $500 or more.

  • An armadillo infestation inspection is the first step in removal and ranges between $120 to $145, which may be rolled into the total job cost.

  • Repairs may be needed if armadillos have burrowed near gardens, driveways, walkways, or foundations and can cost $75 to $110 per hole.

Armadillo Removal Cost Factors

Professional wildlife removal usually includes relocation (where it’s permitted), which is important for armadillo control since they have a homing instinct. This means they'll return to their burrows unless you take them far away. While recommendations for relocation distance vary, transferring them about 25 miles away from your home is a safe option.

In most states, kill traps are illegal. Because armadillos are relatively easy to trap and reasonably low risk, extermination is unnecessary unless the animal is obviously unwell. Instead, live trapping and relocating are the preferred options. Not every state allows for the relocation of armadillos either. Instead, they require the creatures to be trapped using a live trap, and then humanely killed. 

Your wildlife removal specialist will place live traps at likely entry points, usually at the end of a burrow, and they'll return to collect and remove the armadillos. Once your pro is confident they've gotten rid of all the armadillos invading your property, you can fill in the burrows, start repairing any damage caused, and take steps to reduce the likelihood of a new roll (yes, that really is the name for a family or group) of armadillos moving in.

Several factors play into the total cost you’ll pay for armadillo removal.

Infestation Level

For a lone armadillo, you may pay as little as $50 for easy DIY removal or DIY repellant. For professional removal of a larger infestation or in difficult-to-access locations, you can pay $500 or more. The cost increases based on how many return trips the animal removal pro near you has to make to your property and how many armadillos they have to haul away for relocation.

Property Size and Terrain

The larger your yard, the more time it will take for your hired pro to inspect the property entirely. Plus, the more complex the terrain is or the harder the burrow entry points are to find and access, the more time-consuming and expensive the job will be.

Inspection

The pro you hire should thoroughly inspect your property and home perimeter to determine the full extent of your armadillo infestation. This inspection typically costs $120 to $145 and may be rolled into the job total. Some companies claim to offer free inspections, but this may come with a higher removal fee that accounts for the labor time involved.

Repair

Armadillos dig small holes and raised burrows that can cover a yard and go under gardens, driveways, walkways, and building foundations. In loose soil, burrows uproot flowers and vegetation. Repair costs will vary along with the form and extent of damage, but expect to pay at least $75 to $110 per hole. An accurate repair quote will require a full property inspection.

Why You Should Hire a Wildlife Removal Pro

While generally placid and gentle, armadillo will attack when they feel threatened, and they have large claws that can cause significant damage to humans and pets, as well as causing health concerns by diseases they may carry. Hiring a local wildlife removal pro is the safest way to handle your armadillo problem.

Here’s why it’s ideal to hire a wildlife removal pro

Wildlife removal pros ensure armadillos are removed safely as well as helping you set up your property to avoid reinfestation in the future. Here are some of the top reasons to work with a pro:

  • Wildlife removal pros have training and equipment to safely handle armadillos, minimizing your risk of injury.

  • Pros are licensed and knowledge about state and federal regulations, including where you can legally release trapped animals.

  • They can help repair damage to structures after removing the armadillos, saving you time and often bundling services on repairs.

  • Working with a pro ensures entry points and burrows are blocked and sealed, and can also install fencing to keep future armadillos out.

  • Pros have the experience to handle large infestations and tricky situations, using humane and non-lethal methods.

If you want to DIY armadillo removal

If you want to take on some aspects of removing armadillos from your property, here are a few DIY tasks that can help save time and labor costs:

  • Remove objects from the yard, driveway, and home exterior to make it easy for pros to spot burrows and infestation points.

  • Remove food sources by reducing insects, grubs, and other invertebrates that armadillos eat with natural remedies.

  • Trim tall grass, clear out leaf piles, and remove wood or rock piles where they can hide.

  • Fill visible burrows with mud, leaves, and stones to prevent them from using them.

Next Steps: Finalize Your Project With a Pro
  • Be ready to show your pro where you’ve seen armadillos, where they are causing damage, and any burrows you’ve located during the inspection.

  • Ask about the methods they use, including the type of traps they prefer and how they ensure the process is humane.

  • Discuss what steps they will take to make your property less appealing to armadillos to avoid reinfestation.

  • If the pro relocates the animals, ask how far away they will be moved to ensure they don’t return to your property.

  • Get an estimate of the total cost and a timeline for how long the removal and prevention process is expected to take.

A beautiful house with landscaped garden
Photo: Perry Mastrovito / Image Source / Getty Images

How to Save Money on Armadillo Removal

There are several ways you deter these creatures from becoming a problem in the first place:

  • Make the area inhospitable: By taking away their hiding places, you can encourage them to leave on their own or not move in to begin with. Armadillos love to hide in tall grass and burrow under rock piles, so adjust your landscape to be less welcoming. Consider hiring a local landscape gardener to rejuvenate your yard while simultaneously discouraging armadillos. 

  • Remove food sources: Preventing armadillos from having a constant food supply will encourage them to go elsewhere. To achieve this, make your garden less hospitable to spiders, scorpions, and other invertebrates, which are the armadillo's staple diet. 

  • Tidy the yard: Keep up with garden maintenance. Clean up the yard regularly, getting rid of leaf piles, wood, and other organic matter. 

  • Use repellents: You can try armadillo repellents, such as mothballs and predator urine. Homeowners have differing levels of success with these methods, and it really depends on the severity of an existing infestation and just how determined the armadillos are. 

Signs You Have an Armadillo Infestation

Spotting an armadillo or two in your yard is the easiest way to know whether you have an infestation. But if you’re not lucky enough to get eyes on one of these critters when they’re out and about, the following clues will help you confirm any suspicions. 

  • Broken pavement or pipes: Armadillos pack a punch despite their size, and they can cause serious damage when they’re on the hunt. If you notice new cracks in pavement or pipes along with one or more of the indicators below, odds are you’ve got armadillos on your hands. 

  • Nose prints in soil: Armadillos have long, distinctive noses that leave a mark on the ground when they search for food. You’ll likely find these markings sandwiched between shallow holes where they’ve been digging. 

  • Shallow holes in your yard: Burrowing insects are a favorite of armadillos, and the garden pest will dig holes up to three or four inches deep to catch them. 

  • Uprooted plants: While they’re working, armadillos often uproot plants and flowers in the process. 

  • Foul odors: If you detect a fishy smell in your garden or yard but don’t live anywhere near a body of water, armadillos might be the source. In fact, they have a special gland that secretes unpleasant odors to deter predators and attract insects.

Most Common Small Animals Treated by Pest Control

Despite the damage they can do to your yard, armadillos are not one of the common critters removed by pest control experts, making up only a portion of the 18% of other animals in this data set. Raccoons, squirrels, and possums are much more common in a wildlife service’s day-to-day.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Armadillos are attracted to water, so a leaky irrigation system or an overwatered lawn can encourage them to move in. They especially like wet areas where they can burrow and loose soil where they can dig for grubs. They are also attracted to dense ground cover, where they can often find food sources.

Armadillos have very strong smelling capabilities to track down insects efficiently. But this superpower is actually a double-edged sword because their extreme sense of smell also causes them to be more sensitive and deterred by strong odors. To keep them at bay, you can place small amounts of substances like vinegar, ammonia, and mothballs around your property and near armadillo hotspots.

Although you can technically flood an armadillo out of its hole, it’s important to remember that this can be potentially fatal to the animal. Armadillos sleep between 16 and 18 hours a day, and if you perform this technique while they’re deep in sleep, they may not awake soon enough to save themselves.

Armadillos generally avoid extreme temperatures and are most active late at night to early morning, between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., when the conditions are ideal. The only exception to this rule is during mating season—which occurs from June to July in the northern hemisphere and November to December in the southern hemisphere—when male armadillos may be more active than usual.

What you should do with an armadillo after you catch it depends on what your local laws dictate. Often, it's easiest to relocate an armadillo rather than euthanize it. Contact your local wildlife control office or experts for information specific to your area. After removal is complete, be sure to repair any holes left in your yard or under your home.

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