The most effective natural approach to getting rid of armadillos combines removing their food source, blocking access to your yard, and strategically placing live traps along their travel paths. No single method works alone, but layering these techniques pushes armadillos to find easier foraging grounds. Here’s how to do each one well.
Confirm You’re Dealing With Armadillos
Before you invest time in control measures, make sure armadillos are actually the culprit. Their digging leaves a distinct signature: shallow holes 1 to 3 inches deep and 3 to 5 inches wide, scattered across lawns, garden beds, and landscaped areas. These cone-shaped divots are where armadillos root for grubs and insects just below the surface. If you’re seeing raised tunnels or surface ridges instead, you likely have moles. Larger, messier patches of rolled-back sod point to raccoons or skunks.
You may also find burrow entrances, which are much bigger. Armadillo burrows run 7 to 8 inches in diameter and can extend up to 15 feet underground. These are typically near foundations, sheds, rock piles, or dense brush. Spotting an active burrow tells you exactly where to focus your efforts.
When Armadillos Are Most Active
Timing matters for every control method. Armadillos shift their schedule with the seasons. In summer, they forage mostly at night to avoid temperatures above 85°F. In winter, they flip to daytime activity during the warmest hours, since they can’t tolerate temperatures below about 36°F. They don’t hibernate, so they’re a year-round presence in warm climates.
This means your trap checks, barrier inspections, and food-source treatments all need to match the season. Summer control work is best done in the early evening, right before armadillos emerge. Winter efforts are more productive in the late morning or early afternoon.
Cut Off Their Food Supply
Armadillos dig because your soil is full of grubs, beetle larvae, earthworms, and other invertebrates. Reducing that food source makes your yard far less attractive. The most effective natural option is applying beneficial nematodes, microscopic parasitic worms that kill grubs in the soil.
Products containing Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (sold under names like Grub-Away) actively hunt grub larvae through soil moisture films. They work best as a targeted treatment in areas where you already see grub damage or armadillo digging, not as a blanket application across your whole yard. The nematodes need living grubs to feed on shortly after application, so timing is important.
To apply them effectively:
- Water the area thoroughly before application. Nematodes travel through moisture in the soil.
- Apply in the early morning or late evening when soil temperatures are between 68°F and 86°F. UV light and midday heat kill nematodes quickly.
- Water them in with at least a quarter inch of water after application, then keep the soil moist for three days. Applying during rain works well too.
- Focus on affected zones rather than your entire lawn. Spot treatments where armadillos are actively digging give the nematodes the best chance of finding hosts.
You can also reduce soil moisture overall by watering less frequently and only in the morning. Drier soil makes it harder for armadillos to dig and supports fewer grubs. This won’t eliminate armadillos on its own, but it adds pressure alongside other methods.
Install Underground Fencing
Physical barriers are the most reliable long-term solution for protecting specific areas like garden beds, foundations, or landscaped zones. Armadillos are persistent diggers but poor climbers, so even a short fence works if it extends underground.
A fence 2 feet tall keeps most armadillos out. If they seem especially motivated to reach what’s inside (a vegetable garden, for example), go with 3 feet. The critical detail is what happens at the base. Extend the fencing material at least 1 foot below ground, angling it outward at 45 degrees. This L-shaped footer stops armadillos from digging straight down at the fence line and coming up on the other side.
Hardware cloth or welded wire mesh with openings no larger than 2 inches works well. Chicken wire is too flimsy. For burrows near your foundation, you can stuff the entrance with wire mesh and pack soil over it, though the armadillo may simply dig a new entrance nearby if the area remains appealing.
Set Live Traps in the Right Spots
Live trapping is the most direct removal method, but success depends almost entirely on placement, not bait. Research from the University of Georgia found that baits and attractants don’t increase trap success for armadillos. These animals forage by smell along habitual paths, and they’ll walk into a well-placed trap without any lure at all.
Use a large wooden box trap, at least 10 by 10 by 36 inches. Wire cage traps can work, but armadillos seem to enter wooden traps more readily. The most important addition is a pair of “wings,” which are simply two boards (standard 2-by-6 lumber, about 6 feet long) attached to the trap entrance in a V shape that funnels the armadillo inside. Place the trap along a path the armadillo already uses: near an active burrow entrance, against a building wall, along a fence line, or beside a fallen log. Natural barriers on one or both sides channel the animal toward the trap opening.
Check traps at least once daily, more often in hot weather. A trapped armadillo exposed to direct sun can overheat quickly.
Handle Trapped Armadillos Safely
Nine-banded armadillos can carry the bacterium that causes leprosy. Transmission has been documented in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, and the risk is highest for people who handle armadillos frequently or eat undercooked meat. For the occasional homeowner dealing with a nuisance animal, the risk is low, but you should still wear thick gloves when handling a trap or carcass, and wash your hands thoroughly afterward. Never handle an armadillo bare-handed.
Know Your State’s Rules Before Releasing
Relocating a trapped armadillo sounds humane, but most wildlife agencies advise against it or prohibit it outright. Moving animals can spread disease to new populations, and many state, federal, and local agencies ban releasing wildlife on public land. In Missouri, for example, property owners can trap damage-causing wildlife without a permit, but must report the take within 24 hours and dispose of the animal according to department instructions. Relocation is not recommended.
Rules vary significantly by state. Some require permits for any trapping. Others allow lethal control but not relocation. Check with your state wildlife agency and local municipality before setting traps, especially regarding firearm and trap restrictions in residential areas. If you’re uncomfortable handling the situation yourself, hiring a licensed wildlife control operator is a legal and practical option in every state.
Combining Methods for Best Results
No single technique reliably solves an armadillo problem. The most effective approach layers multiple strategies. Apply beneficial nematodes to reduce grubs in your most damaged areas. Install underground fencing around the spaces you care about most, like garden beds or foundations. Place live traps along active travel routes with guide boards funneling toward the entrance. Adjust your watering schedule to keep soil drier, especially in the evening hours before armadillos emerge.
Armadillos are habitual foragers. Once your yard becomes harder to dig in, offers less food, and presents physical obstacles, they’ll shift their range to easier territory. This process typically takes a few weeks of consistent effort rather than a single decisive action.