Do It Yourself Pest Control Supply for Armadillo

Armadillo
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Armadillos are easy to identify by the bony type shell covering their body with 7-11 bands across its back. They are brown in color with scattered hairs being a yellowish white in color. Typical size is from 24-31 inches and between 8-15 pounds. The females are smaller than the males. Their front feet have 4 toes with the 2 middle ones being the longest. The back feet have five toes with the middle 3 being the longest. The tail is about a foot long made up of 12-15 bony rings. Its ears are covered with tough skin and measure half the length of its head. The head is pointy and narrows down to a pig-like snout.

Some important facts about armadillos include the following:

The armadillo is the only animal besides humans to be known to carry leprosy. Leprosy is an infectious skin disease that has been around since biblical times. It is a condition in which disfiguring skin sores develop and nerve damage can occur to the point the affected area is immobile. For this reason it is illegal to sell a live armadillo in the state of Texas.
Contrary to popular belief, they do not curl up into a ball when threatened.
They are related to anteaters.
They are nocturnal but during the winter they will forage for food during the day when it is warmest because they do not hibernate through the winter and have little hair as protection against the cold temperatures. Long periods of freezing temperatures effectively eliminate armadillos from this area.
Breeding season begins in July, however eggs are not fertilized until November. If it were not for this delayed fertilization the young would be born in November when food and a harsh season climate would have an adverse effect on their survival rate. Around March females give birth to identical quadruplets. An armadillo always bears an identical set of quadruplets, conceived from a single fertilized egg. The initial embryo divides in two and those two embryos divide, in turn, into two more. Thus every armadillo is a clone of its three brothers or sisters.
The young are born with their eyes open and walk within a few hours of birth. Within several weeks after birth they start to accompany their mom on expeditions. They are born with a soft shell, which hardens when they are full grown at about a year old. The shell cannot grow or be replaced.
They like to live close to the water. Ponds and streams are preferred because they can eat, drink, and bathe in these areas. Armadillos have a unique way of traversing water when it becomes an obstacle. Because of its heavy shell it cannot swim. If the crossing is short enough it simply walks across the bottom to the other side. If it is a long way across the water it digests air into its stomach to the point of buoyancy then swims across the obstacle. However, it takes several hours for it to dissipate the stored air.
Softer soil compositions will have more armadillo activity due to fact it is easier for them to dig for food. The majority of their diet consists of insects and other types of invertebrates. They love ants and grubs and can do considerable damage to lawns and landscape areas digging for food.
Dig areas are usually 3-4 inch cone shaped holes that can be as deep as 6 inches. They have a keen sense of smell and can detect food up to 6 inches deep. They have a sticky barbed tongue that helps to get its food. Typical food items include ants, beetles, small reptiles and amphibians, birds, small animals, carrion, berries, and fruits.
Armadillos usually live alone except during mating season and have a range of about 10 acres. They have multiple burrows they can use as needed. Burrows are typically about 8 inches in diameter and between 2-25 feet in length. Burrows also have several emergency entrances but only one main entrance, which they use most of the time.

When they enter a structure unwanted or tear up property this is when they become a nuisance and have to be controlled in some manner. Cage type traps are the easiest way of controlling them in a humane manner. However, this is a case where the easiest way is not always the quickest way. Most trap situations you place bait in the trap and set the trap out. Armadillos require a unique trap set up for quicker trapping. They need to be funneled into traps. This is accomplished by placing 2x6 boards at a funnel shape leading into the trap. Armadillos do not see very well, and will follow the boards right into the trap. Make sure you don’t block the trap from closing with the boards.

We carry Safeguard brand traps for their ease of removing a captured animal. This brand of trap has a rear release door that simply pulls up to allow release minimizing the possibility of them scratching when released. The traps we carry include the following: Safeguard Std Rear Release Trap M52830 30x11x12, Safeguard Pro Rear Release Trap M54130 30x11x12, Safeguard Std Rear Release Trap M52836, and Safeguard Pro Rear Release Trap M54136. Cat food in the small cans or lettuce serves as good bait.

One of the main reasons that makes them a nuisance is them tearing up yard and landscape areas in search of earthworms or grubs. Raccoons tend to roll or shred the soil in their search of food. Skunks tend to dig 1-3 inch deep holes only where a grub is located. We carry a product called Whole Control Burrowing Animal Repellent 1 qt Btl and Whole Control Burrowing Animal Repellent 1 gal Jug that contains castor oil in a concentrate container that attaches to the end of a garden hose and is applied over the lawn and landscape areas in the damaged areas. The next time they dig for worms they get a bad taste of castor oil and leave that area alone.

If they die, undetected, it could create a bad smell. We carry odor neutralizer and deodorizer materials such as: Epolean N7C ½ gal Btl, X-O 16 oz Btl 12 bottles/case, and X-O 16 oz Btl, or Rat Sorb 1 oz Btl.

For additional information or purchases we can be reached at 972-562-9999, 903-891-8818, 866-562-8999 or www.expresspest.com.