There really isn't a "forum" for my question, but hopefully someone can offer me some clues on how to get rid of Armadillos. We seem to have an infestation of these pests this year, and they are tearing up the yard. I've gone out in the evenings before bedtime with the spotlight and my .22 pistol, and "removed" 4 of them from close to the house. However, the past couple of days, I mowed about 2 acres and everywhere I mowed there were holes and dirt mounds...some of which look like someone dug the hole with a shovel. Short of staying up all night, and wandering all over the property, with the light and pistol, I'm at a loss on how to eradicate these pests. Any Ideas???? All I find on the Internet is suggestions for "trapping" them.
Armadillos
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bertsmobile1
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No native animal is ever a pest.
It should be there you should not.
So the trick is to find why they are invading your yard rather then staying in the wild.
Other than that a couple of hunting dogs will generally keep most unwanted critters out of your yard.
The "trick " to making dogs work overnight ( or cats for that matter ) is only to feed them in the morning so they will be hungry during the night .
Dogs & cats do not care when they eat or sleep but once fed will curl up somewhere to digest the food
It should be there you should not.
So the trick is to find why they are invading your yard rather then staying in the wild.
Other than that a couple of hunting dogs will generally keep most unwanted critters out of your yard.
The "trick " to making dogs work overnight ( or cats for that matter ) is only to feed them in the morning so they will be hungry during the night .
Dogs & cats do not care when they eat or sleep but once fed will curl up somewhere to digest the food
Armadillos were native to South America. Over the centuries , as the climate has warmed, they have traveled further North. They feed primarily on grubs and earthworms. This is a rural area, and there are lots of people with "hunting" dogs, but dogs are smart enough to stay away from these things. Additionally, armadillos are known to carry leprosy, and other serious illnesses that can transfer to humans if a person tries to handle one of these pests. Until recent years, they only existed in the warmer Gulf coast states...Florida, Louisiana, etc., but as the Winters become less severe, they are rapidly moving North. It's pretty common, anymore, to see them mashed by vehicles all over these rural roads. I'm hoping to find someone familiar with them from some of our Gulf coast states who might have some valid and useful information....doubtful that residents of Australia have ever seen any of these.
bertsmobile1
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Lots of people here have hunting dogs too
But they feed then in the evening so they fill their bellies then find some where to snooze when there are no people around to play with..
It is a force of habit thing we eat in the evening so we feed out animals in the evening.
The working dogs get fed in the evening so they are "keen" during the daylight hours to work
The guard doges get fed in the morning so they are on the prowl all night.
It makes a massive difference to how the dogs work.
The cats get treated the same, a small bowl of food in the morning & nothing in the night thus they are hunting all night.
An no no Armidillos in Oz yet but I am sure some idiot will bring some in & release them.
and risking being labled all touchy feely.
Wild animals live where they live they do not have artifical things like borders, we invented them.
We the very late starters evolution wise seem to think that everything ( other then us ) is restricted to a particular region and has been in that spot forever and should stay there forever.
I always find this weird being that fossel records show that a large number of animals ranged over massive distances as temperatures &/ or food supply changed.
Training some dogs is the best response I could think of.
Burrowing animals are difficult to control ( ask us about rabbits & foxes ) as you are relying on pure luck to find one where it could be shot.
But they feed then in the evening so they fill their bellies then find some where to snooze when there are no people around to play with..
It is a force of habit thing we eat in the evening so we feed out animals in the evening.
The working dogs get fed in the evening so they are "keen" during the daylight hours to work
The guard doges get fed in the morning so they are on the prowl all night.
It makes a massive difference to how the dogs work.
The cats get treated the same, a small bowl of food in the morning & nothing in the night thus they are hunting all night.
An no no Armidillos in Oz yet but I am sure some idiot will bring some in & release them.
and risking being labled all touchy feely.
Wild animals live where they live they do not have artifical things like borders, we invented them.
We the very late starters evolution wise seem to think that everything ( other then us ) is restricted to a particular region and has been in that spot forever and should stay there forever.
I always find this weird being that fossel records show that a large number of animals ranged over massive distances as temperatures &/ or food supply changed.
Training some dogs is the best response I could think of.
Burrowing animals are difficult to control ( ask us about rabbits & foxes ) as you are relying on pure luck to find one where it could be shot.
Armadillos eat grubs worms and other bugs so if you are having a 'dillo problem you might be having a grub problem. Figure out a way to rid the yard of grubs and the 'dillos may move on. Our farm got hit by wild hogs and you would think some took a rototiller to the area as the rooting was that bad, hope you never get hogs up that far.
Tom
Tom
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YOU are talkin bout HARLEY Hog's .. Right Tom .. ?? Yeah when ya get a bunch of them in your yard, they party-hardy !! .. :laughing:..:laughing:
Oh Yeah! When they are busy digging, you can slowly walk right up to within 15 or 20 feet of them before they begin to move away. Last night, I walked around the yard about 10:30, before I went to bed, and found another doing its thing. This time I had my 9mm Ruger with me, as a .22 is almost to small to pop them with one shot. The 9mm did the trick with one shot. This morning, I walked around the perimeter of the yard, and found their "hotel" right at the edge of the forest. They had a hole dug that was about a foot in diameter, and dirt spread all over the place from creating their Nest. I gathered a bunch of twigs and sticks, filled the hole with dry wood, dumped a pint of diesel fuel on the sticks and lit it. I watched closely for any smoke escaping nearby, in case they had a "back door". I saw nothing, so after letting it burn, I got the tractor and landscape rake, and filled in the "cavern", and mashed the tunnel down...it stretched for about 12 to 15 feet. These pests are rather large...about the size of a small dog, and weigh 10 to 15 pounds. Hopefully, if they were home taking their daytime nap, the smoke, and diesel fuel asphyxiated them, and mashing their tunnel with the tractor should have collapsed their home. I'll find out over the next few nights if this does the trick.
About the only thing I found on the Internet that was of potential value was to spread gobs of mothballs or ammonia all over the area. However, since I keep almost 2 acres mowed, it would probably cost a couple thousand dollars to get enough odor causing chemicals spread to chase them off....and then filling the entire area with toxic fumes. Getting rid of earthworms and grubs would be equally fruitless and costly.
Living in the boondocks has its challenges, but I would rather have to contend with critters invading the garden and yard, than putting up with the Human Scum that fills the daily news reports in most of the cities.
Seems to me an arrow would be a steathly way of taking care of these vermin, even if you lived in a subdivision with neighbors close by.
Way back, when I bow hunted for deer, I could fairly consistently hit a plastic 1 gallon water jug at around 30 yards,,,so 15 to 20 feet should be realistically doable.
Of course,,,busting a cap in one is another good way,,,LOL.
Regards
Jeff
Way back, when I bow hunted for deer, I could fairly consistently hit a plastic 1 gallon water jug at around 30 yards,,,so 15 to 20 feet should be realistically doable.
Of course,,,busting a cap in one is another good way,,,LOL.
Regards
Jeff