Wildlife in your Moore County, NC Garden
Armadillos – The Nine-Banded Armadillo
Could you go out one morning and find an armadillo (or the evidence of an armadillo) in your Moore County garden? The answer is “maybe” now and “quite probably” in the future.
If you have traveled south on Route 95 during the summer, you have noticed that they are plentiful and tend to have a difficult time crossing the road.
Armadillos originated in South America and have been expanding their territory ever since. They have become a concern throughout the southwest and beyond. Eventually, they’ll be found in any state where winters are mild. The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcintus) is nocturnal, which means it does most of its foraging at night. Its strong legs and claws are built for tearing apart termite mounds and digging burrows. They eat grubs and worms. One of the reasons getting rid of armadillos is so difficult is that they aren’t territorial. The one that’s in your yard today may not be the one that did all that damage last week.
So, how would you know that you have armadillos? They’re pretty destructive. Think small pigs. They’re known for tearing up flower beds in search of bugs and worms and leaving 3×5-inch divots in the lawn where they’ve dug up the turf looking for grubs. They can also cause great damage to ornamental and fruit trees. The burrows (which can run up to 25' long) often disturb and damage the root systems of trees and shrubs.
This burrowing activity also damages concrete slabs, creating air pockets beneath the concrete that weakens (and many times cracks) the foundation of homes and other buildings.
It is said that the armadillo can transmit leprosy. I’ve seen written opinions on both sides of that debate. In any event it is safe to advise that although they look interesting, you should not touch any armadillo: dead or alive.
How do you keep then out? There are several different avenues you can take, depending on your feelings about chemical interference and structural construction. Unfortunately, the best method to stop armadillos from entering your yard is not only the most expensive, but might also be the least attractive. A stout fence with no spaces big enough for them to crawl through and buried a foot or more underground so they can’t dig under it, is the best form of armadillo control.
Since armadillos feed on grubs, like moles, the next line of defense in a lawn might be spreading a treatment of milky spore. Milky Spore Powder is an organic grub control product that can remain in the soil for up to twenty years. Milky spore is commonly used to control Japanese beetles. It contains Bacillus popillae, a bacterium that kills grubs by multiplying inside the grub, causing death. The spores are then dispersed in nearby soil, which is how the product is able to exist in the soil for so long. Without grubs, your lawn will be less attractive to armadillos. Milky spore powder will not provide an immediate solution, though.
It is said that armadillos have a great sense of smell, so potentially odor can be used to discourage their occupancy. Strong scented, eye-stinging scents like those of vinegar, ammonia or pine cleaner have been suggested by residents in areas where armadillos have been common. Some suggest they are offended by the smell of pine needles or pine bark. You might try switching to one of these as mulch for your garden beds.
If these suggestions fail to eradicate your armadillo problem, you might consider more cruel options. I do not intend to cover those here, though. Armadillos have been around longer than dinosaurs. I think it is far better to coexist and with a little effort, exclude the armadillo from flower beds, garden beds, and other places they dig, than to kill them. Remember, they were here first.
