Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Armadillos Hard To Control

If you've found holes in your garden, it's probably the work of an armadillo, says the Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas.

The armored animals range from Texas and Louisiana as far north as the southern edge of Missouri and Kansas.

They live in brush, woods and areas next to creeks and rivers. They tunnel burrows to escape temperature extremes. When the armadillo dines -- usually at night -- it prefers grubs, slugs and insects.

Controlling armadillos isn't easy. There are no known effective repellents. They can be trapped when using ripe fruit, tuna, hamburger or catfood. But the easiest method of control is to get rid of the food source.

Dursban and Diazinon are most often recommended for control of grubs, but success varies with soil conditions. Remember -- read the label and follow instructions carefully.