Confounded Armadillos!!!!!!!

Worth1 · May 31, 2006

No sooner than I move to my new place and manage to leave the grasshoppers behind, then I get plagued with Armadillos.

I blamed poor old BOO BOO for digging up the few maters I had left when I find out Armadillos did it.
I saw their handy work in my neighbors yard yesterday and last night they gave me another visit.
I just spent about $180 on 70 caladiums 10 elephant ears 43 rosemary plants, (three different kinds)
My neighbor lady friend form Maine. (She lives close to where I used to live) brought me over some spider lilies and other nice plants plus some homegrown tomatoes from her garden to boot.
I have worked my fanny off trying to make this place look respectable and all of the plants are doing great, (kind words from all the folks around here already.)

If that Armadillo keeps up his midnight snacks there will be possum on the half shell served at the Doss table soon.

((((((Unless you guys know of any non-lethal remedies for this rascal.))))))

I have a policy not to kill anything I don’t eat and I don’t feel like lieing to my wife about what it is she is eating.
I have eaten the things before and they are tasty to say the least, just hard to get the shell off compared to rabbit or squirrel.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Worth

**coronabarb** · May 31, 2006

Wow! Talk about your formidable garden pest!!! Just how DO you get the shell off, LOL.

I won't ever complain again about the ants.

Suze · May 31, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

No sooner than I move to my new place and manage to leave the grasshoppers behind, then I get plagued with Armadillos.

I blamed poor old BOO BOO for digging up the few maters I had left when I find out Armadillos did it.
[...]
If that Armadillo keeps up his midnight snacks there will be possum on the half shell served at the Doss table soon.

((((((Unless you guys know of any non-lethal remedies for this rascal.))))))

Worth

Hi, Worth (long time, no see)--

Poor Boo Boo. Sounds like you owe him some really good treats. :wink:

Armadillos are pretty dumb; they also have very poor vision. Fairly easy to trap with a havaheart style trap, just make some sort of food trail to get them in.

Hopefully out where you live, calling animal control once you trapped your 'dillo is an option.

Worth1 · June 2, 2006

Hi Barb And Suze,

The option of trapping the critter in a live trap would not work, as I would just end up with one of my cats in the thing, (old Tiger Foot knows all about that.) about 4 years ago I was awakened on a Sunday morning by this blood curdling scream.
As it turned out old Tiger Foot was trapped in a county live trap that the neighbors had allowed to be placed on their property to catch dogs, (it seems that their dog was the only one that they thought should run loose).

After the neighbors saw me jump a 5 foot fence run through their yard barefooted in just shorts, destroy the trap, rescue Foot and run back, the law was called and they came over.

I told the young fellow about how my critters were my kids and I hadn’t had my coffee yet, (the deputy was pretty relived as he thought there was a wild man on the loose from the call he received) we had a good laugh and I filled a statement.
I paid for the trap and the county dropped the malicious mischief charges and destruction of county property they had placed over my head.

Animal control would just laugh at me to say the least and we have untold amounts of armadillos in the area.
The area where we live is very wooded and we have no neighbors in the back, just woods.
I found the critters hole on the backside of my place and I think I will just have to out smart him.
He hasn’t bothered the other plants and they can’t climb so a short fence may be in order.

Maybe I can put out food for him so he will get full before he has to come all the way to the front for grubs. (Sorry Grub)

Thanks,

Worth

kwselke · June 2, 2006

Live capture traps will work, but baiting them will not work with armadillos. The armadillos are rooting for grubs. To get the armadillo in the trap, place the trap where they have been rooting. Place two long 2 x 6s on end in a V form and the opening of the unbaited trap at the base of the V funnel.

Treating the area for grubs is another option.

Arming two teenage boys with flashlights and baseball bats and putting a reward on the aradillo is another option that I've heard will work.

As a side note, the reason you see so many dead armadillos on the highway is that drivers will try to straddle them when they see them in the road. Armadillos jump when startled. The car goes over the armadillo, the armadillo is startled and jumps, the people in the car hear a thump on the floorboards. It's all over with at that point.

May 31, 2006	#1
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Confounded Armadillos!!!!!!! No sooner than I move to my new place and manage to leave the grasshoppers behind, then I get plagued with Armadillos. I blamed poor old BOO BOO for digging up the few maters I had left when I find out Armadillos did it. I saw their handy work in my neighbors yard yesterday and last night they gave me another visit. I just spent about $180 on 70 caladiums 10 elephant ears 43 rosemary plants, (three different kinds) My neighbor lady friend form Maine. (She lives close to where I used to live) brought me over some spider lilies and other nice plants plus some homegrown tomatoes from her garden to boot. I have worked my fanny off trying to make this place look respectable and all of the plants are doing great, (kind words from all the folks around here already.) If that Armadillo keeps up his midnight snacks there will be possum on the half shell served at the Doss table soon. ((((((Unless you guys know of any non-lethal remedies for this rascal.)))))) I have a policy not to kill anything I don’t eat and I don’t feel like lieing to my wife about what it is she is eating. I have eaten the things before and they are tasty to say the least, just hard to get the shell off compared to rabbit or squirrel. Any help would be much appreciated. Sincerely, Worth

May 31, 2006	#2
coronabarb Tomatoville® Recipe Keeper Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Roseburg, Oregon - zone 7 Posts: 2,821	Wow! Talk about your formidable garden pest!!! Just how DO you get the shell off, LOL. I won't ever complain again about the ants. __________________ Corona~Barb Now an Oregon gal

June 2, 2006	#4
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Hi Barb And Suze, The option of trapping the critter in a live trap would not work, as I would just end up with one of my cats in the thing, (old Tiger Foot knows all about that.) about 4 years ago I was awakened on a Sunday morning by this blood curdling scream. As it turned out old Tiger Foot was trapped in a county live trap that the neighbors had allowed to be placed on their property to catch dogs, (it seems that their dog was the only one that they thought should run loose). After the neighbors saw me jump a 5 foot fence run through their yard barefooted in just shorts, destroy the trap, rescue Foot and run back, the law was called and they came over. I told the young fellow about how my critters were my kids and I hadn’t had my coffee yet, (the deputy was pretty relived as he thought there was a wild man on the loose from the call he received) we had a good laugh and I filled a statement. I paid for the trap and the county dropped the malicious mischief charges and destruction of county property they had placed over my head. Animal control would just laugh at me to say the least and we have untold amounts of armadillos in the area. The area where we live is very wooded and we have no neighbors in the back, just woods. I found the critters hole on the backside of my place and I think I will just have to out smart him. He hasn’t bothered the other plants and they can’t climb so a short fence may be in order. Maybe I can put out food for him so he will get full before he has to come all the way to the front for grubs. (Sorry Grub) Thanks, Worth

June 2, 2006	#5
kwselke Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 172	Live capture traps will work, but baiting them will not work with armadillos. The armadillos are rooting for grubs. To get the armadillo in the trap, place the trap where they have been rooting. Place two long 2 x 6s on end in a V form and the opening of the unbaited trap at the base of the V funnel. Treating the area for grubs is another option. Arming two teenage boys with flashlights and baseball bats and putting a reward on the aradillo is another option that I've heard will work. As a side note, the reason you see so many dead armadillos on the highway is that drivers will try to straddle them when they see them in the road. Armadillos jump when startled. The car goes over the armadillo, the armadillo is startled and jumps, the people in the car hear a thump on the floorboards. It's all over with at that point.