Armadillos are pesky little creatures that are beneficial to our ecosystem. Hunting and digging for insects, grub worms, and other invertebrates, these hard-shell animals can leave a destructive path behind.

The size of a household cat, the nine-banded armadillo has a bony, scaled shell that protects them from predators. The overlapping plates that cover their body act as a plated armor.

Armadillos are diggers by nature. They prefer to live where the ground and soil are soft or sandy. Even though they have strong sharp claws, the softer ground makes it easier to dig an emergency burrow if threatened by a predator or when foraging food. Armadillos spend most of their day sleeping in their burrow only to come out in the early morning or late evening to search for food.

Armadillos, like some other animals, can destroy a lawn or garden by digging for grub worms in mid to late summer. The armadillo leaves behind a triangular shaped hole in the ground. (The shape of its snout.) It is also capable of using its long sticky tongue to snatch up beetles, termites, ants, and other insects. They also, on occasion, eat bird eggs, fruit, and plants. They make for a great pest control but the repairs to your lawn or garden from the damage left behind could cost you time and money.

Armadillo offspring are called pups and are born in a birthing burrow that can reach 15 feet wide. Identical pups are not uncommon. In fact, the nine-banded armadillo have 4 same gender identical offspring per litter.

If you suspect armadillos or other animals are tearing up your lawn or garden, contact Safe Earth Pest Control. Eliminating their insect food source eliminates the problem. We do not trap the armadillos as they are good for nature but we can eliminate the grubworms that the armadillos are searching for. If you eliminate the food source, they will find a new home! 214-321-2847