They are digging for grubs or ant larvae. If you cannot eliminate the grubs and ants, you may need to run some wire, buried a few inches in the ground, around the yard.

Yes, we do. They’ve destroyed our yard in the past.

The only success I’ve had was to treat for grubs (what they’re digging to get). If you have a local feed store, they usually have the best types to use. It’s too late to treat for this year, though. We forgot and I saw holes yesterday.

I can't tell you how much I hate doing that. Doesn't that kill all the earthworms?

Running a wire is not feasible. We're talking acreage. Not in the budget. I'm already looking at a gate!

No, what I get doesn’t harm beneficial bugs. The grubs we have are June Bug (beetles) larvae.

That’s why I get the organic kind from our feed store, and it is pricey. Check online, too, for homemade versions.

Some at Lowe’s, HD, etc are full of chemicals that do kill everything, so just check labels.

ETA: I know neighbors (my last house) who have trapped and relocated, but others just take their place.

There is only one way to get rid of armadillos, I’m sorry to say.

Yes we have. They are so destructive! We now use beneficial nematodes periodically to control grubs and fire ants and no more armadillos in the yard since. We buy them refrigerated at our local organic nursery.

Jana, I forgot about nematodes, glad you posted that.

Ugh, fire ants! Hate those little demons! I wish the Armadillos went after them.

They are beginning to make their way into western NC and NC Wildlife Commission has requested notification of any sightings (dead or alive) with location, date/time and pics if possible. Not a midwestern issue so never saw them and hope we never do now that we are living south. There have been a few posts about them on our local FB site, lots of questions about leprosy which is just another reason I don't want them around! Even though the transmission rate is very low the idea makes me shudder.

Yes, they can carry leprosy. When I was much younger I foolishly thought I could catch one and ran after it. I could not believe how fast it ran (no idea what I thought I would actually do with it when I caught it).

Damadillos! I hate them. They are so destructive. They can tear up a yard or flowerbed or garden in one night! They leave little divets all over the yard. I can't tell you how many times I've tripped in one of their divets and all but fallen. It's quite the acrobatic act trying to regain my balance.

We have battled them for years! Husband set traps -- they don't work.

It's the treatment for grubs that will deter them.

The likely hood of getting leprosy from one is extremely slim. Leprosy is not very contagious, and you have to be in repeated and long term contact with someone/thing that has it.

The only way to trap them is to figure out the path they use, then angle boards along the path that lead into the trap. A neighbor has had great success using this method. The link explains it.Havahart

A couple of years ago, NOC 2 trying to figure out what the heck this creature was in the back yard.

I yelled Get off my lawn! … it ignored me.

I feel like I'm about to turn into Annie Oakley hanging out the bedroom window with my shotgun but I'm going to look for the organic grub killer. And thank you Jinx!

Yes they really are awful. A lot of people around here aren't familiar with them but they've been here for 20 years or so and the destruction is just unreal. It really is like having a herd of deer meander through the yard eating everything only this is holes in the yard and the mulch, deep furrows.

They are ugly things!! we dont have them, but traveling through the carolinas, we almost always see at least one dead one on the side of the road. Hope you can get rid of them Bunble!

I have to say, from a PNW perspective...this is kind of surreal!

Interesting, I grew up in Texas and lived there until my late 30s and I can never remember having an issue with them? They were/are very plentiful in Texas!

When you eliminate the grubs in your yard you’re just sending them to someone else’s yard.

Not everyone has grubs. We live on small lots here, the Armadillos don’t touch any of my neighbors’ yards, just ours. And it’s not because they treat their yards, they don’t.

In our yard, they always go to the exact same two areas, but not the rest of the yard.

I've never seen one and always wanted to as they look so prehistoric...though I know you view them as pests.

Don't compare them to opossums though as they are good ones to have around...they eat ticks!

Annie, we had a possum up on the patio the other night, stealing food from the NOCs.

The cats are used to them. :D

I love Armadillos, just not the damage. They really are very cool up close. They have bad eyesight, which is why I can get up close to take pictures. The one posted above came right up to me and didn’t notice I was there. On a hike a while back, we saw several mamas and babies … the babies are the cutest little things!

We’re near a large natural area, so get lots of critters in the yard. Racoons wash their hands in the cats’ water bowl every night.

Oly - you crack me up and I'm right there with you.

Move to the frozen tundra of the frigid Northeast everyone. No armadillos anywhere to be found. The trade off is that you can get 2 feet of snow at one time at any point from November through March.

(I'm here to help my friends. LOL...)

Unfortunately kswl is right. Those funneling traps didnt work for us. DH has dispatched many over the past few years. They are actually ugly, especially their claws. He got the ’grandaddy’ one year that had huge claws and it was scary to see.

We have them again and my back beds look like they have been rototilled. There is no pine straw left. The side yard looks about the same. We have been able to get rid of a couple but obviously we have more.

Funny you should ask. We think we have one here now. We get divots in the yard from possums, skunks and other critters, and that's usually not a problem, but I was watering our potted plants when I noticed a large mound of loose dirt. On closer inspection, I couldn't tell whether it was a hole or a tunnel, but we later tried running water down the hole to find out if it filled up. It did, so we filled it in. He returned and we filled it in again. Apparently they have several sleeping holes and move among them -- w only see this guy ever few days.

I read they don't like garlic or cayenne, so we put some garlic and cayenne on top of the soil. He came back, so I filled in the hole again and shoved a potted plant into the soft dirt. He came back and toppled the pot, dug a hole next to it AND another one several feet down. Filled in holes, more garlic, more cayenne, more potted plants , a couple of concrete blocks and half a dozen tomato cages stuck down and deep as we could. Two nights without new holes, but tonight I spotted a possum in the same area. He left through a loose board in our neighbor's fence. He's probably just looking to see if there is any spilled bird seed....which is fine if he doesn't bring his hole digging friend. We've got another few days to see if he comes back or if he took the hint(s). He can hunt, leave divots, but no digging, especially baring the roots to my fruit trees!

By the way, I did a lot of reading when we were trying to confirm what kind of critter made the holes. Leprosy is mentioned in some of the reading, but I also read that it is more myth than fact, or at least a greatly overstated risk. Seems like we would all know someone who knew someone who'd had leprosy if the risk were significant. I haven't handled one, but I haven't been wearing gloves when filling the holes - just wash my hands when I come in like I would anyway.

Also learned that you can trap them in your yard, but you have to call TX Parks and Wildlife if you want to relocate one. I wouldn't have thought that was necessary. DH doesn't want to resort to trapping if we can avoid it. One more reason to hope we don't have to.

I had a grub infestation a few years ago and had a skunk aerate my lawn looking for them. It looked like the photo upthread. My area was far enough away from the house and bordering a natural area that I didn't particularly care. I sure wouldn't want my front lawn looking like that.

It's funny, but either the skunks got them all, or the aforementioned winter weather kills grubs too. I've never had the problem since and we don't do anything with the lawn back there but mow it.

I sprinkled red pepper all over the place and you would have thought I'd put out enchiladas.

I'm sorry Bumblebeez - that made me laugh. I realize it's not funny...but sometimes Mother Nature and critters do like to mess with us, don't they?

It's getting cold here in New York, and now I have mice trying to find winter shelter in my garage. Trust me, I feel your pain just in a different way. :)