Armadillo Removal in Cartersville, GA
Woke up to a lawn full of small cone-shaped holes, as if hogs had been rooting overnight? Around Cartersville, armadillos come in from nearby fields to dig in watered yards. 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 Cartersville yard
Armadillos are spreading through Georgia, and our crew sees more of them every year. Bartow County suits them well. Pasture edges, field margins and the soft soil along the Etowah bottoms give them room to dig and burrow. Many Cartersville homes are built right next to that land. An armadillo comes out at night to feed on grubs and earthworms, and a watered, fertilized lawn next to dry pasture is the easiest place to find them. By morning the yard is full of cone-shaped holes, and flower beds and mulch have been dug up.
Most homeowners try a store-bought fix first, and none of them work. An armadillo has poor eyesight, finds food by smell, and digs out of instinct, so sprays, granules, mothballs and buzzing stakes don't stop it. What does work is trapping the animal that's causing the damage. That means setting traps where it actually walks, then closing off its burrow so another one doesn't move in. Here's how the Bartow County pro does it.
Surface damage vs. burrows
There are two kinds of armadillo damage. The first is what you see in the morning: shallow feeding holes in the lawn and mulch scattered out of the beds. It looks bad, but it's only surface damage. The second is the burrow. Armadillos dig tunnels several feet long, often under a deck, porch, shed, AC pad or the edge of a slab. A burrow under something heavy can wash out the soil that holds it up. That's the part to take seriously.
Why yards next to fields get hit
Armadillos often live in the field edges, fence rows and creek banks around Cartersville and walk into nearby yards at night to eat. A well-kept lawn holds a lot of grubs and earthworms close to the surface, especially when it's watered and the pasture next to it is dry. After rain, worms and grubs move up near the surface, and the digging gets worse. That's why the damage is often heaviest along the back of the yard, closest to open land.
Don't treat for grubs
The natural reaction is to kill the grubs so the armadillo has nothing to eat. People who trap armadillos for a living generally advise against it. When grubs get scarce, the armadillo digs more holes and digs deeper to find what's left, so the lawn ends up looking worse. Mothballs are another common mistake. They don't work, and they shouldn't be put around the yard or under the house for any wildlife problem. The only way to stop the digging is to remove the armadillo.
Trap placement
Our crew says there's nothing you can bait an armadillo with. So the work is about where the trap goes. The pro looks for the paths the animal uses every night, such as along a fence, beside a wall, between the burrow and the lawn, or through a gap under the fence. They set box traps (often wooden) right on that path, with boards or edging that steer the armadillo into the opening. Georgia doesn't restrict trapping armadillos. When the trap is in the right spot, the armadillo walks in on its own.
Closing the burrow
Once the armadillo is caught, its burrow is still there, and the next armadillo coming from the fields will move right into it. A complete job closes the burrow and buries wire barrier along the bottom of decks, porches and sheds so a new one can't dig under them. On lots that back onto pasture or woods, this step is what keeps the problem from coming back.
When the burrow is under the house
If the tunnel goes under a slab, porch, AC pad or crawlspace wall, move faster. Water can run into an open burrow and wash out the soil that supports whatever is above it. The pro traps the armadillo first and confirms the burrow is empty. Then the burrow is filled and closed off so another animal can't use it. If you just shovel dirt into the hole while the armadillo is still underground, it will dig back out somewhere else.
Common armadillo questions in Cartersville
Something is digging cone-shaped holes in my lawn in Cartersville — what is it?+
Do armadillo repellents, mothballs or ultrasonic stakes work?+
There's a burrow under my porch or shed — 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 Cartersville?+
Other Cartersville 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 Cartersville?
If armadillos are digging in your Cartersville yard at night, other animals usually are too. See everything we handle locally on the Cartersville 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 Cartersville armadillo crew
An armadillo digs every night, and once it has a burrow under your deck or slab, it isn't leaving on its own. Call us and tell us about the job — we will confirm the local crew for your county before any work starts.
- Local to Bartow County. Georgia DNR-compliant handling — call to ask about licensing and insurance.
- Trapping, not repellents. Box traps set on the armadillo's own paths, plus closing off its burrow. Sprays and granules don't work.
- Done right. Removal, exclusion and cleanup.