Armadillo Removal in Austell, GA
Woke up to a yard full of small holes, like something rooted through it overnight? Austell's damp creek-side soil is easy digging for armadillos, and sprays won't stop them. Call us and tell us about the job — we will confirm the local crew for your county before any work starts.
Armadillos digging up your Austell yard
Armadillos are showing up in more of metro Atlanta every year, and Austell has the kind of ground they like. Soil near Sweetwater Creek and the low, shady yards around it stay soft and damp, and damp soil keeps grubs and earthworms near the surface. An armadillo spends the night nosing through it. In the morning the lawn has small cone-shaped holes, mulch is thrown onto the sidewalk, and plants are uprooted. People often say it looks like hogs went through the yard.
Armadillos don't eat plants. They're digging for insects, and they'll keep coming back as long as the soil is easy and the food is there. Sprays, granules, mothballs and buzzing stakes don't stop them, and there's nothing you can bait an armadillo with. What works is a pro catching the animal in a box trap set right on the path it walks every night, then blocking its burrow so another one doesn't move in.
Holes in the lawn vs. burrows under things
The feeding holes look bad but they're shallow, and the lawn grows back. The bigger worry is the burrow. Armadillos dig dens several feet long, often under a porch, shed, deck, concrete pad, or the edge of an older home's foundation. In soft creek-area soil a burrow can wash out the dirt under whatever's on top of it. If you see a hole about the width of a football next to the house, have it checked.
Why yards near the creek get hit
Armadillos look for loose, moist soil that's full of insects. Yards in the lower, shadier parts of Austell near the creek fit that well, and so do well-watered lawns and mulched beds anywhere in town. Damage often gets worse after a stretch of rain, when the ground is soft and the grubs move up. The armadillo is simply going where the digging is easiest.
Things that don't work
Most people try home remedies first: mothballs, castor oil, pepper, predator urine, ultrasonic stakes. None of them reliably drive an armadillo off, and mothballs shouldn't be spread around a yard at all. Grub killer is a mistake too. When grubs get scarce, the armadillo digs more holes looking for what's left, so the damage gets worse.
Trapping comes down to placement
Bait doesn't work on armadillos, so the pro has to put the trap where the animal will walk into it. That means finding the burrow and the path it takes each night, often along a fence, wall or the edge of a bed. Pre-set wooden box traps go right on that path, sometimes with boards angled to funnel the armadillo inside. Georgia doesn't restrict armadillo trapping, but placement takes experience. A trap a few feet off the path can sit empty for weeks.
Blocking the burrow afterward
Once the armadillo is caught and the pro confirms no young are left in the den, the burrow is filled in and the opening is blocked. Under a deck, porch or shed, that usually means metal mesh buried along the edge so the next armadillo can't dig back under. Without that step, an empty burrow tends to attract another one.
Burrow next to the foundation
Call quickly if the hole is right against the house, under the AC pad, or under the steps. Older Austell homes on crawlspaces or shallow footings don't have much soil to spare, and a burrow can let water in underneath. The pro removes the armadillo first, then fills the burrow and puts down a buried barrier.
Common armadillo questions in Austell
Something is digging cone-shaped holes in my lawn in Austell — what is it?+
Do armadillo repellents, mothballs or ultrasonic stakes work?+
There's a burrow under my deck or older foundation — is that an armadillo?+
How do you actually get rid of an armadillo?+
Will an armadillo damage my foundation?+
How much does armadillo removal cost in Austell?+
Other Austell problems that come with armadillos
Our wildlife crew handles these closely related problems — the ones that most often turn up with a armadillo issue.
Got more than armadillos in Austell?
Something else may be using an Austell yard at night besides the armadillo. See everything we handle locally on the Austell wildlife removal hub, or jump to Georgia wildlife removal.
Want the background before you call? Read our statewide guide: Armadillos tearing up your Georgia lawn.
One call to your Austell armadillo crew
An armadillo will keep digging every night until it's caught, and a burrow under a porch or shed can keep growing. Call us and tell us about the job — we will confirm the local crew for your county before any work starts.
- Local to Cobb County. Georgia DNR-compliant handling — call to ask about licensing and insurance.
- Box traps on the path. Traps placed where the armadillo already walks. There's no bait, spray or granule that works.
- Done right. Removal, exclusion and cleanup.