If you have an armadillo problem, it goes without saying, you are tired of your yard being tunneled, your plants being destroyed, and your tree roots being damaged. These animals may also damage the foundation of your home, outbuildings could be undermined, and your dogs driven crazy by their nocturnal behavior. There are several advertised methods of riding yourself of these pests such as repellents, sound machines and motion lights. These methods aren't often effective and therefore most people who have armadillo problems end up looking for ways to trap the animal or to kill them


Lethal Traps
This is one option for killing an armadillo. A trap such as a connibear 120 or 220 will work. Just place the trap over the armadillo's burrow opening and wait. This is a very strong trap and really shouldn't be used by anyone except a professional trapper. A couple of drawbacks to the lethal trap is, what if it just catches the armadillo but doesn't kill it instantly? Do you really want the creature to suffer? The other issue is, what if a family pet accidentally gets caught in the trap? Other critters could get caught in the trap, such as a skunk, raccoon, squirrel, or who knows what. There are better ways to rid yourself of the armadillo than this trap.


Poisons
You can acquire some type of poison that will kill small animals. The trick is getting the armadillo to ingest it. Since they only eat live worms and grubs, it will be difficult to get the poison into the armadillo. In the meantime, other animals could be poisoned, including your own pets. Poisoned animals often die a slow, agonizing death. No matter what kind of nuisance they are, you don't want them to suffer for hours or longer until they finally die. You should also note that poison is outlawed in some areas.


Shooting
Using a gun to kill an armadillo is another option, but it must be powerful enough to penetrate the armor. You must also obey the local laws about discharging a gun in your yard, including being the registered owner of the gun. Because armadillos are nocturnal animals, you would likely have to be up at night to spot one in order to shoot it. They also are constantly moving, making them harder to hit in the lethal spot to kill them instantly. Discharging a gun late at night won't make you popular with your neighbors or the police. This can be dangerous and isn't an highly recommended option.


Prevention
You can always try to prevent the critters from coming into your yard or garden in the first place. Keep your yard and garden free from debris, rotting fruit on the ground (such as fruit that falls from the tree), piles of mulch, and other places that foster the breeding of insects, grubs, and worms. Fencing, properly installed, can help also. The fencing must be buried into the ground a good two to three feet, otherwise the armadillo will just burrow underneath it. Preventing the problem in the first place is always the best idea. When done well, it is also one of the best ways to keep your yard armadillo free.


Live Trapping
When prevention is either too late or ineffective, live trapping is the ideal solution to your armadillo problem. This method is far preferable to any of the above methods of ridding your property of armadillos. Setting a live trap is something most anyone can do themselves. A wire cage that has some type of trip device that makes the door automatically shut when the armadillo enters the cage works just fine. A cage that will fit a raccoon will work for an armadillo, too.

Another type of armadillo trap is a wooden one. The wooden trap, when used over and over again, retains the scent of the captured armadillo, and thereby attracts another one the next time it's set. Armadillos have a highly acute sense of smell. They use that sense not only to find food, but also to find other armadillos. When an armadillo catches the scent of another one emanating from your trap, it will head right into it, thinking it's found a friend.

Knowing where to place the trap is a key factor to successfully trapping armadillos. Study the yard or other area where the armadillo is known to be. Armadillos use the same path over and over again. Armadillos are creatures of habit and will walk the same route around your property. They also tend to walk next to a wall, which makes a logical place to set the trap. When you have defined the path, you will know where to place the trap.

Read the How to get rid of armadillos page for helpful information and to learn more about How to Kill an Armadillo