DIY Armadillo Removal

The information you want is at the bottom ½ of this page. The information you need to get the results you want and avoid some challenges along the way is here at the top ½. 

The internet can be a confusing and overwhelming source of information. When it comes to armadillos, there is a lot of conflicting information that seems to keep getting passed around, even from what appears to be credible sources sometimes. Keep in mind there can always be rare, circumstantial exceptions to experiences. Here are a few quick examples:

• Baits and poisons do not work on armadillos. If you have already tried popular deterrents like mothballs and cayenne peppers, you know those don’t work either. Those typically only draw in non-target animals including pets that can become poisoned directly or indirectly if they encounter another animal or rodent that was exposed. A wood trap that has been scented by another armadillo is the only truly effective way to “lure” them into a trap. 
• Metal cages cannot realistically be scented and only work when you can set it by a known source of entry like an active burrow hole. You still need to funnel them in with a fence style barricade at least 12” tall giving them no other choice than to enter the trap. Fully grown armadillos can destroy a metal cage trying to escape while seriously injuring themselves in the process. Wire traps are one of the most inappropriate and misleading products advertised when it comes to humane and realistic armadillo control. 
• Relocating nuisance armadillos 5-10 miles from your home like many internet sites suggest only makes it someone else’s nuisance, even in the county. In fact, the survival rate of relocated armadillos is reported to be very low while increasing the risk of spreading health risks to animals and humans.  An estimated 80% are killed on the road making them a traffic hazard. Livestock can easily break their legs when stepping in their burrow holes resulting in the livestock sadly having to be euthanized. In Oklahoma, you must have written permission from a suitable landowner to relocate armadillos. In many states it is illegal to relocate them. 

The Armadillo Guy is happy to provide realistically usable resources for those that enjoy the adventure of dealing with things yourself like armadillo removal. Lets not sugar coat this section at all. This is not intended to determine who has the skills to do this or not, I simply want to help DIY motivated trappers be more aware of what they are getting themselves into. There are numerous legitimate risks in the professional and DIY armadillo trapping business and their superpowers are often underestimated. Armadillos are the only mammals known to carry the Leprosy bacteria. They have razor sharp claws for digging and defending themselves as you may imagine. They can jump with an impressive amount of power. Their speed should not be underestimated. They can hold their breath for around 6 minutes and can swim more efficiently than you might imagine. Their ultra-sensitive hearing and sense of smell compensates for their poor eyesight and clumsy stance. When you combine poor eyesight with a wild animal that’s built like a tank and fueled by instinctual determination, they can cause a lot of damage or inflict injuries to others simply by trying to evade or escape capture. Check out some of the videos on our platforms for a better understanding and some entertainment. 

                                                         Still interested in DIY armadillo trapping?

Ok, let’s start your DIY armadillo trapping crash course!

You will need a scented NoDillo armadillo trap which is designed to be humane and made of durable, weather resistant materials. NoDillo traps are available for local pick up in OKC by appointment or online at armadilloguy.com starting in 2025 as we continue to expand. Once your NoDillo trap captures an armadillo, it will work its potent scent into the wood fibers and store it there. This will now lure other armadillos into it and continue to become more powerful after each capture. NoDillo traps come pre-scented.  

Damage sites – Set a NoDillo trap in an area with recent and repeated damage, set the trigger on the trap and walk away. That’s it! They typically enter a well scented NoDillo trap on their own, even if its right in the middle of your yard with no fences or barriers. How quickly they are captured is largely dependent on how active they are. Predictable activity will generally produce quicker results than random activity. 

Source sites – Set a NoDillo trap as close to an obvious source of entry as possible. This could be a burrow hole, an exit from under your house, shed or deck etc. Ideally, they will naturally go in a scented NoDillo trap, however, using fencing barriers to give them no other choice but to enter the trap will increase the success of capture. Once it is clear that all resident armadillos have been captured, you will need to fill any holes and block off those access points to avoid future armadillos or other nuisance wildlife. 

Lucky sites – You’ll have to get creative when trying to catch transient armadillos that are only occasionally doing random damage while passing through. You can use their poor eyesight and enhanced smell to your advantage by placing a NoDillo scented trap along a wall such as the side of your house or fence for example. Often times they will navigate by blindly following a wall until they get to what their smell is leading them to. Fencing can be very useful in these scenarios so you can take a wide area and funnel them to your NoDillo trap. 

                                                                                                    Now what?

• It is very important to check your traps each morning. In addition to the inhumane treatment of leaving it trapped in heat of the day, it could ruin your trap if it dies in it. Remember, natural scenting is one of the key elements of luring them into the trap. 
• What are you going to do with the captured armadillo? 
• Just because you captured 1 or several does not mean they are gone for good. Make your property less desirable such as blocking off access under decks, sheds, your home, high fence panels or gates etc. 
• It is unlikely, but if you capture an animal other than an armadillo, release it where it was captured unless it poses a risk to humans or other animals. 
• Speak with neighbors about what you are doing so their curiosity does not result in tampering with the trap. Networking with neighbors can also increase your success of capturing all resident armadillos with bordering properties having NoDillo traps set in strategic locations as well.