Armadilla pest

[Ranger J]

I live in a part of the Missouri Ozarks that is exceedingly dry this summer.  One of the few local oasis seems to be my garden.  The rabbits took out about one third of the bush beans before I took them out and other than the Japanese and June beetles my main problem is an armadillo.  They usually confine their bug hunting to the woods but those are so dry that nothing is growing in them this year.  So they have started visiting my garden at night.  I guess the problem is that I mulch the garden heavily and this provides a good spot for various insects to hide and they are just rooting around to find them.  In the process they are running the garden.  I guess my only option other than putting a chicken wire fence around the garden is to set up one of these nights and pop them with the 22.  Anyone have other options?

RJ

[blind ear]

I vote pop and then watch the buzzards do thier work. Down the hill of course. Dillas smell awful real quick.

[reliquary]

Chicken wire won't stop an armadillo.  They'll dig under it in a matter of seconds.  There is, in fact, very little in the way of wire fencing that they can't get under.  I use an old .410 with a Maglight duct-taped to the barrel, adjusted to shoot to the center of the beam.  Eyes won't handle a .22 at night anymore.

[GeneRector]

   Howdy! You could also live trap the armadillo and re-locate it 8 or 10 miles from your garden. It could be worse. Let a wild hog find your garden and it will be gone in one night. Best of luck!  Always, Gene
 
 

[longwinters]

Getting rid of an animal that digs would be a problem.  Basically, besides deer, the only garden eating fodder we have is rabbits and a live trap (in town) takes care of that.  Course I have caught my cocker in the trap 3 times now, I think he figures there just has to be a rabbit in there somewhere even though he can't see it.  But if deer start jumping my fence my choice will be a pellet gun.
 
Long

[clum sum]

Wish You luck. Got rid of the hog problem by fencing off the whole five acres . Then the dillers started, must have one the size of a med dog it can turn over about a sq. yard of nice lawn a night. I have stayed up late, have got up early and gotten up in the middel of the night and I still haven't got a shot off yet. Tried traping no luck there. If You get em please let everyone how,

[Bugflipper]

They can be a little hard to catch. They don't eat many bugs above ground. I guess you could dig a hole under a trap and put a can of worms under it and hope they meander into it. Most folks will string up those cheap plastic net fences and funnel them into a trap with no bait since they don't see to well. They don't like dogs, but most dogs love to chase them. Or the simplest way is just to sit up and pop them.

[blind ear]

They will use the same trail repeatedly, usually easy to spot. Look around the edge of the property in the weeds and you will probably be able to determine thier access and use that to your advantage for trapping or shooting.  ear