Armadillo Removal in Fayetteville, GA
Woke up to a lawn full of small cone-shaped holes, mulch thrown onto the walk and a burrow under the shed? That's an armadillo, and they're showing up more in Fayette County every year. We'll connect you with our local pro.
Armadillo damage in Fayetteville yards
Armadillos have been spreading north through Georgia, and wildlife operators say they're more common every year. Fayetteville yards give them several kinds of easy digging. New lots near the studios have freshly graded soil that is loose and full of grubs. Older lawns near downtown have been watered for years and have earthworms near the surface. The large wooded lots in the county, along with the creek corridors, give them cover to burrow in during the day. The damage is unmistakable: cone-shaped holes across the lawn overnight, mulch scattered and beds dug up, as if hogs had rooted the yard.
Most people try home remedies first, and none of them work. Mothballs, castor-oil granules, predator urine and ultrasonic stakes don't stop an armadillo, which digs by instinct. Mothballs shouldn't be spread around a yard anyway. There's also nothing you can bait an armadillo with. What works is trapping, with the trap set on the path the armadillo already uses, and then closing off its burrow.
The lawn is the small problem; the burrow is the big one
The feeding holes look bad, but they're shallow and the lawn recovers. The burrow is the real concern. An armadillo likes to dig under something solid, such as a shed, a deck, an AC pad, a porch slab or the edge of a driveway, and in soft soil the tunnel can run several feet. On a new lot near the studios where the fill hasn't fully settled, or a county lot with an outbuilding, a burrow can undermine whatever is above it. That's the main reason not to wait.
Why Fayetteville yards attract them
Armadillos eat grubs, earthworms and beetle larvae, so they go where the soil is soft and those are near the surface. Freshly graded new lots, well-watered older lawns and the damp ground near the creeks and Lake Horton all fit that description. Wooded edges give them a place to burrow during the day, close to where they feed at night. Digging usually picks up after rain, when the soil is softest.
Don't treat for grubs
It seems logical to kill the grubs so the armadillo has nothing to eat, but operators generally recommend against it. When the grubs thin out, the armadillo digs more to find what's left, so the damage gets worse before it gets better. The same applies to repellents. At best they push the armadillo a few feet to the next soft spot. Each week spent trying them is another week of new holes.
Trapping is about placement
Since nothing baits an armadillo, it all comes down to where the trap goes. Pros generally use sturdy box traps, often wooden, set directly on the armadillo's path: the line along a fence, the edge of a tree line or the route in and out of the burrow. The pro uses boards or edging to guide the animal into the trap. Georgia has no legal restrictions on trapping armadillos. Some companies charge a flat rate per job, and others charge per trip or per animal caught, so ask how it's priced.
Close the burrow so the next one stays out
When the armadillo is gone, its burrow stays behind, and another armadillo will use it. A complete job closes the burrow and puts buried wire mesh along the bottom of decks, sheds and slabs so a new one can't dig under. On a large county lot, the pro will also point out the cover near the house that's worth clearing.
When the tunnel is already under a structure
If the burrow goes under a slab, deck footing, shed floor or AC pad, get it handled soon. The pro traps the animal first, makes sure the burrow is empty, then fills or blocks it and installs buried mesh so the tunnel can't be reopened. Don't fill the hole while the armadillo is still in it, because it will just dig out somewhere nearby.
Common armadillo questions in Fayetteville
Something is digging cone-shaped holes in my lawn in Fayetteville — what is it?+
Do armadillo repellents, mothballs or ultrasonic stakes work?+
There's a burrow under my deck 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 Fayetteville?+
Other Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville?
Where an armadillo is digging, other animals are often moving through the yard at night too. See everything we handle locally on the Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville armadillo crew
An armadillo digs every night, and a burrow under a slab or shed keeps getting bigger. Call us and tell us about the job - we will confirm the local crew for your county before any work starts..
- Local to Fayette County. Georgia DNR-compliant handling — call to ask about licensing and insurance.
- Traps set on its path, not repellents. Box traps placed where the armadillo already travels, then the burrow is closed off.
- Done right. Removal, exclusion and cleanup.