How to Get Rid of Armadillos From Your Yard: 5 Humane Methods

If you live in the southern U.S., you may be familiar with the nine-banded armadillo. This small mammal with a hard shell spends much of its time burrowing through yards, uprooting plants, and damaging utilities in pursuit of food. If this cute but invasive pest is wreaking havoc on your property, this guide will walk you through how to get rid of armadillos without doing them harm.

1. Natural Repellants

Armadillos have poor eyesight and rely heavily on smell. You can disrupt their sense of smell with strong, unpleasant odors from crushed garlic or granular commercial armadillo repellent. Spread these inside burrows or in areas where you've noticed signs of armadillo activity.

2. Electronic Deterrents

Armadillos are skittish and may be frightened easily by strategically placed motion-sensing lights and sprinkler systems installed near garden beds.

3. Live Trap and Release

Armadillos are creatures of habit, so you may be able to humanely trap them on their common paths.

If you want to trap an armadillo, set up a large cage trap at night near a burrow entrance or damaged area with live insect bait or overripe fruit in the center. Check your trap every morning and wear protection against a trapped armadillo’s sharp claws. You can contact a professional animal control service to safely relocate an armadillo you've trapped.

4. Reduce Insect Populations

One way to get rid of lawn grubs and other backyard insect pests without harmful insecticides is by releasing beneficial nematodes. These microscopic organisms feed on pests that lure in armadillos.

5. Install In-Ground Fencing

If you can budget for the cost of fencing, bury a wire fence a few feet into the ground to prevent armadillos from digging under. The fence should also extend two feet above the ground and slant out at a 40-degree angle to prevent them from climbing over. This option is labor-intensive and may not be the most attractive solution, but it's a highly effective deterrent.

Why Get Rid of Armadillos?

Armadillos seem cute and harmless. They’re the size of cats with large ears and pointed snouts, and they roll into a ball when frightened. They sleep in their burrows all day, emerging at night to forage for mainly insects.

This is when armadillos become a problem. They dig holes in pursuit of food, tearing up lawns and gardens. In some cases, they damage buried wiring and plumbing. It's in your best interest to remove them from your property and prevent their return, but you have to do so carefully since kill traps are illegal in most states.

Getting Rid of Armadillos Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro

Most people can handle armadillo removal, but whether you should take on this project is another question. When just a few critters visit your yard, it’s simple to implement strategies to deter armadillos from coming by.

However, if you’re dealing with an armadillo infestation in a difficult-to-access area, they’re damaging structures on your property, or you’re worried about disease transmission, we recommend hiring a wildlife removal professional. While it costs quite a bit more to hire a professional, it can be difficult to capture, release, and stop armadillos from returning. 

Some states also restrict where you can release trapped armadillos or whether you are allowed to trap them at all. An expert has valuable knowledge of local regulations, health and safety equipment, and knows how to prevent more armadillos from entering your property.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Rid of Armadillos?  

The national average cost to remove armadillos is about $275. This usually includes relocation since armadillos return to their burrows if not taken far enough away. You can remove a lone armadillo on your own for about $50. However, large infestations in difficult locations require a pro, costing $500 or more. The more time and trips required, the higher the cost.

Signs of Armadillos and Armadillo Damage

Armadillos are active at night, so you may not actually see them. Instead, look for these telltale signs:

• Multiple shallow divots on your lawn ranging from one to three inches deep and three to five inches wide

• Burrow entrances around shrubs, bushes, trees, flower beds, gardens, rock piles, and building perimeters

Armadillos range throughout the southern U.S. but have been found as far north as Minnesota. Other signs include overturned soil, uprooted plants, chewed wiring, and cracks in pavement. However, these are also signs of other garden pests. If unsure, consult a local animal control expert or set up wildlife cameras to catch the culprit on video.

What Attracts Armadillos to Your Yard?

Like most animals, armadillos visit areas hoping to find food and shelter. If they can’t find these things, they will leave. Their primary food source is insects, so if you have any pest infestations in your yard, it pays to get rid of them. Remove fallen or rotten fruits and vegetables from fruit-bearing trees, shrubs, or gardens before they attract insects.

As diggers, armadillos prefer soft, moist soil. You can help prevent them from moving into your property by watering early in the morning so the soil is drier and more difficult to dig in by nightfall. You may also want to reduce your water usage to the minimum amount required by your plants.  

Tips to Prevent Armadillos

Whether you’ve removed armadillos or want to avoid ever having to, it helps to know how to keep armadillos away. These little creatures care about food above all else, so take the following steps to make your lawn less attractive:

• Remove clutter from your yard where armadillos and insects might hide

• Clean up any fallen fruit from trees and gardens as soon as possible

• Cut back overgrown plants and shrubs so armadillos don't move in

• Gently block existing burrow entrances, eventually filling them with dirt and gravel