How can we keep armadillos from digging...

An armadillo can tear up a lawn in one night, but experts offer little hope for trying to prevent the creatures from doing so! Wildlife experts advise home owners in the South to treat armadillos as they would other wild animals — in other words, don’t go messing with them yourself. They can carry infectious diseases (leprosy being one of them!) and they have extremely strong claws. Armadillos have no teeth and poor eyesight but a strong sense of smell. They can dig up to 15 feet down in search of insects, ants, spiders, larvae, frogs, and other invertebrates that make up their diet. They love digging up yards, golf courses, vegetable gardens, and flower beds. The three best methods for controlling them are shooting, trapping, and excluding, and we don’t recommend the shooting part. Armadillos can be captured in box traps set along fences and pathways where they walk. Low fences leaning out at a 40-degree angle can keep armadillos from entering an area. There are no poisons or repellents recommended for control. Armadillos are found only throughout the South, primarily in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida. The South’s high temperatures, humidity, and sandy loam soils create the perfect habitat for armadillos.