Armadillo

Armadillo

In the United States, the sole resident armadillo is the Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), which is most common in the central southernmost states, particularly Texas. Their range is as far east as South Carolina and Florida and as far north as Nebraska; they have been consistently expanding their range over the last century due to a lack of natural predators and have been found as far north as Illinois and Indiana.

Armadillos dig burrows and sleep up to 16 hours per day, foraging in the early morning and evening for beetles, ants termites, and other insects. They have very poor eyesight, and utilize their keen sense of smell to hunt. Strong legs and huge front claws are used for digging and a long, sticky tongue for extracting ants and termites from their tunnels. In addition to bugs, armadillos eat small vertebrates, plants, and some fruit, as well as the occasional carrion meal.

Target:

Lawns, gardens and grounds.

Damage:

Most damage occurs as a result of digging and burrowing.

Control:

Repellents, preventing grub infestations.

Notes:

Controlling grubs with Annual Grub Beater reduces a favorite food source. Did you know that the nine-banded armadillo's hapless propensity for being run over by cars has earned it the nickname "Hillbilly Speed Bump."

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