Armadillo roundup

We have had a plague of armadillos this year. Well, truly we have problems with them every summer, but this hot, dry summer has been particularly bad.

They dig in our irrigated gardens looking for worms and grubs to eat. They particularly like to dig up ground covers so the edges of our beds are looking ragged. In an effort to stop the damage we are trapping them and relocating them over 3 miles away, hoping they won't find their way back.

Here's one of our set-ups. We don't bait the trap, we just find a spot where they continue to dig and travel, set the trap in the middle of the path. Then we put 2x4 boards along the sides, leading into the trap. It works some of the time. We have trapped and relocated 7 so far this summer.

Look at this - one of our intended victims dug a hole right at the opening of the trap, but didn't go in. Like he was thumbing his nose at us.

This is another of our configurations. We can't figure out which direction this guy is moving, but he digs this bed up almost every night so we are hoping to corral him into the trap.

To all those people who tell us that armadillos are so cute and we should leave them alone, here is my thinking: This is the best way to enjoy armadillos if you think they are cute and cuddly.