The 3am rototiller
You go to sleep with a lawn and wake up with a construction site: dozens of small conical holes, torn-up mulch beds, flower beds excavated. That's armadillo work — a single animal can dig dozens of holes in one night hunting grubs and insects. In Orlando's sandy soil, they dig easily and fast, and once an armadillo puts your yard on its nightly route, the damage compounds every single night.
Why trapping them is tricky (for amateurs)
Armadillos have poor eyesight and follow the same routes night after night along fences, foundations, and landscaping edges. They don't care about bait the way raccoons do — you can't lure an armadillo with food reliably. The professional method is placement, not bait: live traps set directly in the travel path, often funneled with boards forming a V that guides the armadillo in. It looks simple and it only works if you know the path.
Burrows need attention too
Armadillos dig burrows under sheds, porches, and foundations — sometimes extensive tunnel systems. A burrow under a slab or footing isn't just a hole; it's a structural concern over time. After removal, burrows get filled and compacted, and vulnerable spots get buried wire mesh barriers so the next armadillo can't re-excavate the same tunnel.
Keeping the next one out
Trapping without prevention is a subscription service. We advise on grub reduction (fewer grubs, less attraction), buried fencing for beds you want to protect, and removing the brush piles and dense ground cover armadillos den in. Read the flower bed protection guide.
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