The Sealy News (Sealy, Tex.), Vol. 107, No. 44, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 5, 1995 Page: 31 of 38
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January 1995
Gulf Coast Fanner-Rancher
Page 17
Controlling
armadillo damage can be exasperating
By RICK SRAMEK
Wildlife Damage Control Specialist
Texas Animal Damage Control Service, Dallas, Tx.
The armadillo (Dasypus
novemcintus) is a rather in-
teresting and unusual animal
in that it does not have a
body covered with hair or
fur.
Instead the body is cov-
ered with a protective shell .
of bony armor. There are
nine movable bands across
the back and the tail is cov-
ered with a series of over-
lapping rings.
The underparts are covered
with a soft skin and a few
long hairs.
The armadillo is about the
size of an opossum and
weighs from 8 to 17 pounds.
Its front feet are well
adapted for digging. Tracks
made by an armadillo ap-
pear to have been made by a
three-toed animal.
Armadillos normally pro-
duce only one litter a year,
usually in March or April.
The gestation period is about
boards are used to funnel the armadillo into the trap.
Figure 1. Set the trap in an area where armadillos travel or
where they are digging. The trap is more effective when
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Armadillo
(Photo courtesy of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.)
five months and the young
are always quadruplets of
the same sex.
The young are usually born
in a nest within the burrow.
Armadillos have poor eye-
sight, but a keen sense of
smell. In spite of their cum-
bersome appearance, ar-
madillos can run faster when
in danger. The also are good
swimmers and can walk
across the bottoms of small
streams.
Armadillos are active
primarily from twilight
hours through early morning
hours in the summer. In the
winter they may be active
only during the day. Ar-
madillos are burrowing ani-
mals.
Their burrows are usually
7 or 8 inches in diameter and
up to 15 feet in length. Bur-
rows are most commonly lo-
cated in rock piles or around
stumps, brush piles, etc.
Armadillos dig a number
of burrows within an area to
use for escape.
More than 90 percent of
the armadillo's diet is insect
matter. They also feed on
earthworms, scorpions, spi-
ders and other invertebrates,
as well as on fruit and veg-
etable matter such as berries
and tender roots.
Although armadillos occa-
sionally destroy the nests of
ground-nesting birds in their
search for food, there is
some disagreement as to
whether or not they actu-
ally eat the eggs.
DAMAGE
Although armadillos are
beneficial because they eat
insects and other inverte-
brates, they sometimes be-
come a nuisance by digging in
lawns, golf courses, veg-
etable gardens and flower
beds. Some damage has been
caused by their burrowing
under foundations, drive-
ways and other structures.
Disease is another factor
that must be considered
when evaluating armadillo
damage. Armadillos can be
infected by an organism that
is thought to be the human
leprosy bacterium.
When armadillos cause
damage, they may need to
be controlled.
CONTROL METHODS
Trapping: Live trapping is
an effective way to capture
armadillos, although they
can sometimes be difficult to
catch because they are so
unpredictable.
Traps should be placed in
trails near fences or beside
buildings. If the burrow is
located, the trap should be
placed at the entrance.
Trapping can sometimes be
more effective if two long
boards are used on either
side of the trap to funnel the
animal into it.
If the trap is placed next
to a building, only one board
is needed.
It is not usually necessary
to bait the traps when fun-
nels are used. If bait is de-
sired, over-ripe or spoiled
fruit works well because it
attracts flies and other in-
sects. Other suggested baits
are earthworms or fishing
worms secured in a nylon
stocking.
Live or box traps with di-
mensions of at least
10X12X32 inches are ade-
See ARMADILLOS, Page 21
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quate. Commercially made
live traps such as Toma-
hawk, Havahart, Mustang,
etc. are available at many
hardware or sporting good
stores.
Live traps also are avail-
able from representatives of
the Texas Animal Damage
Control Service.
Chemical Control: At the
present time, there are no
fumigants, toxicants or repel-
lents registered for the con-
trol of armadillos. However,
since most of the damage
armadillos cause is a result
of their digging for insects
and other invertebrate in
the soil, an insecticide can
be used to make the area
less attractive to armadil-
los./
Once food source is elimi-
^ i
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Petrusek, Wilma. The Sealy News (Sealy, Tex.), Vol. 107, No. 44, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 5, 1995, newspaper, January 5, 1995; Sealy, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1702742/m1/31/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Virgil and Josephine Gordon Memorial Library.