Discussion: What To Do With An Armadillo?

"I've been trying to chase an armadillo back to his home for 7 or 8 days. We've had a 23 day drought and critters are coming out of the woods. We did get about 1/2 inchs or rain Wednesday and about 1 inch yesterday but he's still here. The lawn is getting messier and messier AND NOW he has dug a tunnel under a big (the biggest) tree in my back yard. What do I do?" - The Forestry Forum

Michigan State University has a great armadillo site and pretty much describes the animal in its entirety. They do a great job describing armadillo problems to include control methods and options at accommodating the animal if control measures fail.

The site suggests that "armadillos in your yard are not always a bad thing. They tend to leave larger, established plants alone, and they keep insect and other pest levels down by eating them — a much more environmentally friendly way of pest control than using chemicals in your garden." In their final tongue-in-cheek analysis, "if you really can’t handle having an armadillo in your yard, you could always move to a state that does not have armadillos."

Photo Credit: Michigan State University