The armadillo is the state small mammal of Texas.Of nearly 20 armadillo species throughout the world, the nine-banded armadillo is the only armadillo present in the country and Texas.Armadillo bands are covered in keratin, the material that comprises human nails and hair.Their shells are not bulletproof, contrary to popular speculation, but the shells will not be penetrated by some small caliber bullets.They're connected for some flexibility, allowing them to curl into a ball for protection from predators (but unfortunately, not vehicles). Armadillo shells are made of osteoderms, which are bony plates.Armadillo comes from a Spanish word that means "little armored one"-and how accurate it is!.Their digging can disrupt plants and seeds, shrubs and other foliage. While burrowing and trying to locate the perfect nesting area, armadillos may discover a spot underneath your home. Much like skunks, armadillos prefer cover under enclosed outdoor structures like your deck or porch.Īrmadillo holes in the yard often manifest as 3–5" wide holes that are anywhere between 1–3" deep. We have several other web pages with information on dealing with armadillos and their control, Trapping Armadillos and other Ways to Control Armadillos.Armadillos make quick work of root systems surrounding your home, and their digging can even cause compromised structural integrity of the home's foundation. This is another reason why you should have the armadillos removed from your property as soon as possible. It is estimated that one female armadillo can have over 60 babies in her lifetime. The young ones stay away from their mothers during the spring season and summer months and then start to venture off on their own to start their own family and start the cycle all over again.
When they are born they have their eyes wide open, and movement is started within a few hours of birth. The egg fertilized egg essentially splits into 4 parts. The armadillo produce quadruplets Every time! The babies that are produced at the time of birth are of the same sex because they are developed from the same egg. She has 4 at a time, EVERY TIME she births. The problem arises in that when a female armadillo has babies. Armadillos typically have babies in the early spring, my the time they are six to 8 weeks old they are feeding side by side with their mother in yards across the United States, This is prime season because the grubs in your yards are fat and juicy and the baby armadillos need this nutrition to grow. One of the major things that you should do is trap the armadillos from the area, this can often be difficult because of the way the armadillo is designed my mother nature.
You can do several things to eliminate the problem, but we suggest that you contact a Professional Nuisance Wildlife Control Expert and get on a program that includes trapping and yard treatments to control the amount of animals and their potential food sources. This is a very common question and a question that does not have a simple answer. You can learn more about Armadillo Removal Here. Food is generally why the armadillo is digging up your yard. The will dig throughout the entire year eating other lawn specimens such as earth worms and ants. The food source that the armadillos are typically after is Japanese Beatle larva which usually is only present in the yard in the spring and early summer, after the Beatles devolve they past the larva stage and leave your yard, therefore eliminating the food source.
Armadillos are opportunistic feeders and once they find a adequate food source they will exploit it until it’s completely gone. This usually means they will destroy your entire yard. By the very nature of the animal they will continue to dig in or near the same place until the entire food source has been depleted. They are hungry, if you have a armadillo digging holes in your yard they are after a food source in which they have discovered. These animals have been know to cause over $1000.00 of damage to a yard in a single night, if you suspect that you are having a armadillo near your yard, you should take care of this problem BEFORE the armadillo starts digging! Once these animals determine that your yard has the food source that they are looking for, they will destroy the entire yard in a realatively short time period. In this page we will try to explain why the armadillos are digging in your yard and possible solutions to help get rid of these destructive animals from the grassy part of your property once and for all. Armadillos can be very destructive when it comes to keeping a well manicured yard and sometimes they can be very hard to trap and get rid of. Armadillo digging in my yard is a very common problem that people see in the spring and summer months where armadillos are found.