OT - Armadillos

[RonB]

I debated the OT because this is home related. Other than a lawn chair, flashlight and shotgun, does anyone have suggestions for controlling Armadillos? We live in a small town and our back yard backs up to farm fields and timber. You seldom see them during the day but they are rooting up the ground near our house, shed and even places in the middle of the lawn.

Our neighbor said they drove him to distraction while he as trying to establish a lawn several years ago. He was coming home late one evening and saw one waddling across the yard in his headlights, and he ran him down with his pickup. I would like to avoid that tactic too.

Ron

[Stormin Mormon]

What did your google search turn up? Must be some one else had similar problems.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Our neighbor said they drove him to distraction while he as trying to establish a lawn several years ago. He was coming home late one evening and saw one waddling across the yard in his headlights, and he ran him down with his pickup. I would like to avoid that tactic too.

Ron

[Sjouke Burry]

RonB wrote in news:d0ba8482-7a88-4814-b960- [e-mail]:

A friend of mine(sort of) had a problem like that with neigbourhood cats, they used his garden as litterbox. He wired some blanck copper wire held up by plastic sticks, and connected that wire to a microphone amplifier. Any cat touching the wire, triggered a relay, which produced a low current high voltage 10KV pulse on the wire......... The number of screams at night diminished quikly, cats are quick studies. Of course we told the guy to stop that :)

[HeyBub]

Armadillos are not very bright and not very fast. Most people can run alongside them and pick them up (when you do, notice the 'diller's legs keep moving). From there, you can put them in the garbage can or wherever.

Don't worry too much about leprosy; if you do contract it, leprosy is easily curable with modern antibiotics long before anything falls off.

A few years ago the head of the Tennessee Department of Transportation sent out a memo noting that the Texas Nine-Banded Armadillo had managed to spread to Tennessee. He further instructed the Volunteers that, when startled, armadillos jump straight up (as much as four feet) and curl into a sphere. Therefore if you see an armadillo on the road in front of you, DON'T HONK! else an 18 pound bowling ball will come though your windshield at 50mph!

It probably won't hurt the armadillo, though.

[rlz]

30 years ago, all you had to do is leave a six-pack of Lone Star Beer out for them and they would take it and leave. Later you would hear about an Lone Star 18-wheeler getting hi-jacked by a giant armadillo. I saw the commercials, It's true!!!!

[RonB]

I know they are slow but you very seldom see them in daylight. In fact we really didn't start seeing them in Kansas until the early

90's. Since then, they are everywhere. If you drive any distance, almost anywhere in the state, you will see them on the roadside doing their four legged salute.

RonB

[Sonny]

It's rare that someone will get leprosy from an armadillo, these days. Most folks cook their armadillos thoroughly, as with their possums.

It's very easy to get rid of armadillos, just get rid of your earthworms.

Sonny

[RonB]

OH! I need to go fishin' more.

I can do that!

RonB

[HeyBub]

About 15 years ago, I visited the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. There, I saw my first ground hog in the flesh (It was "Harriet," the society's mascot). In talking with the executive director, I offered to trade him an armadillo for a ground hog.

"Good Lord, NO!" was his response. He went on, "Can you imagine what would happen if the granny ladies walking our nature trails were to spot an armadillo? There'd be a never-ending line of ambulances."

[RonB]

I can kind of relate to that. In about 1990-92 we had a scout troop at the Quivera Scout Ranch is SE Kansas. Another leader and I had about 8 scouts on a backpacking training trip. That evening my first Kansas Armadillo came out of the grass and waddled through the middle of our site. One of the boys took off toward it and the armadillo turned around and made a noise that stopped the kid in his tracks. It wasn't loud, it was just the kind of sound that stopped the kid, me and about anyone else who might want to go cuddle with him. Kind of a throaty hiss or something.

RonB

[Robert Green]

"RonB" wrote in message news: [e-mail]...

[krw]

Cars seem to do a good job around here. I think they're really woodchucks with (too thin) body armor.

Try getting rid of the bugs in your lawn, grubs, in particular.

.22SP works well.