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<\/strong><\/p>\r\nLegal status in Alabama: <\/strong>Unprotected. Armadillos causing damage to your property can be shot or trapped year-round.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n Size:\u00a0<\/strong>28-48 inches long with 9-15 inch tail. 6-18 pounds<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Signs of their presence: <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Diet: <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Insectivores. They mainly eat insects and other invertebrates; however, they are known to eat small reptiles, amphibians, and plant matter as well. They consume beetles, termites, ants, maggots, snails, grasshoppers, worms, and larvae.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Typical activity patterns: <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Social style: Solitary excluding breeding season and taking care of the young.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Daily activity: Mainly nocturnal. However, during colder months they will come out during the day to warm their body.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Hibernates: No<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Migrates: No<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Where found: <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In Alabama armadillos can be found throughout the southern two-thirds of the state.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Habitat: <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Prefers forests with mature trees including pine, oak, and hickory.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Territory and Home Range: <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n May vary. During breeding season armadillos defend their home range in order to better their chances of breeding a female.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Breeding habits: <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Pair bonding style: Polygamous. Males are thought to have more than one breeding partner<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Breeding Dates: July-August. Gestation takes about four months. Implantation is delayed three to four months, so the young are not born at a bad time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Litter Size: Four young are born from one fertilized egg.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Birthing Date: Around March<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Weaning Date: Around 3 months<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Amount of time young remain after weaning date: three to nine months. After they are weaned they will forage with the mother and leave in six months to a year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Common nuisance situations: <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Time of year: Any time of the year<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n What are they doing?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Their presence might frighten people due to disease risks<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Digging up lawns in search of food<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Damaging underground pipes<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Damaging foundations, sidewalks, or driveways with their burrows<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Ripping up young plants in search of food<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Disease Risks: leprosy<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Best practices <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Fence off Vulnerable Areas:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Erect a wire fence around the foundation of your house. Bury the fence 2 feet deep and have it near 2 feet above ground. Put electric wire through the top of the fence to stop them from climbing over.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Put of the same fence for gardens and flower beds. Putting hardwood chips down may deter the armadillo as well. They will not want to dig through all the chips.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Make your yard uninviting:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Sprinkle cayenne pepper around the yard. This will irritate the nose of the armadillo<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Get rid of the grubs and worms that the armadillo is digging for with pesticides<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Spread castor oil repellents in the yard<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n This makes the grubs and insects taste bad and creates a foul smell in the burrows<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Remove any wood piles, rotting woods, or other structures that bugs and grubs live in<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Set up motion-activated sprinklers. Armadillos are skittish so a burst of water will deter them from an area<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Install motion activated sound systems to deter the armadillo<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Trapping<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Trap the armadillos near their burrows or areas they frequent<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Set the traps on trails that armadillos use from coming out of the woods into a field<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Remove Artificial Food Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Trapping strategies: <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Live Capture:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Set a trap around 36 x 12 inches<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Trapping armadillos can be extremely helpful in alleviating the issues.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Set a trap right in front of the burrow or along the wall or fencing closest to the damaged area<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Create a funnel with wood guiding the armadillo to the trap<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Bait the trap with earth worms<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Lethal Traps:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Set a body-gripping trap at the burrows entrance or on a trail traveled by the armadillos<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Set them at dusk and make sure pets cannot get into the yard<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Set the trap in a cubby or enclosed in an area to reduce the risk of harming pets of children<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Traps set on land cannot have a jaw spread exceeding 5 inches when measuring from the main triggering mechanism to the opposing jaw.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Preferred killing methods:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n CO2 chamber (if caught in a cage trap, simply place the trap in the chamber.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Shooting, using a shotgun, rifle, bow, or crossbow (target the chest area)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Acceptable killing methods:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Shooting<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Control strategies that don\u2019t work particularly well or aren\u2019t legal in Alabama:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Mothballs have been used but have no effect on armadillos.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Motion-activated lights have no real effect on armadillos since they have such poor eyesight<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Pour vinegar around a vulnerable area to deter armadillos from entering<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Poison has no effect on armadillos as they only eat grubs and worms that they dig up<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n For information on pesticides follow the link, Legal status in Alabama: Unprotected. Armadillos causing damage to your property can be shot or trapped year-round. Size:\u00a028-48 inches … Continue reading Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)<\/span> \r\n
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http:\/\/agi.alabama.gov\/divisions\/pesticide-management\/pesticide-rules-and-regulations<\/a><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"