Armadillo Removal in Marietta, GA
Woke up to a lawn that looks like hogs went through it? Small cone-shaped holes and torn-up beds are the mark of an armadillo, and they keep coming back until it's caught. 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 Marietta yard
Armadillos are more common in Georgia every year, and Cobb County is well within their range now. In Marietta they tend to show up on the established lots — older yards and mid-century ranch properties with decades of mature shade trees, deep beds and soft, well-watered lawns. What they want is underground: grubs, worms and insects. The result is a lawn full of small cone-shaped holes each morning, mulch thrown out of the beds, and sometimes a burrow dug under a deck, shed or the edge of a slab.
The frustrating part is that most of what people try doesn't work. Armadillos dig on instinct and barely see, so repellents, mothballs and ultrasonic stakes don't change their behavior. They also can't be baited. What works is a trap placed exactly where the animal already walks, by someone who knows how to read the signs.
Holes in the lawn vs. a burrow under the house
There are two kinds of damage. The feeding holes in the lawn and beds are ugly but shallow, and grass recovers. The burrow is the part to worry about: armadillos like to dig under decks, sheds, AC pads, porch steps and slab edges, and a tunnel there can loosen the soil underneath over time. The lawn is an annoyance; a burrow next to the foundation is a reason to act.
Why established Marietta yards attract them
A yard that's been watered and shaded for decades has soft, moist soil with a lot of grubs and worms close to the surface — exactly what an armadillo is looking for. Thick shrubs and wooded edges give it a place to hide during the day. After a stretch of rain the ground gets even softer, which is often when people notice the digging pick up.
Repellents and mothballs don't work
Mothballs, castor-oil products, predator urine and ultrasonic devices are all sold for armadillos, and none of them have been shown to reliably keep one away. Mothballs in particular should never be put out for any animal problem — they don't work and they're a hazard around kids and pets. Every week spent trying remedies is another week of digging.
Why trapping is about placement
There is nothing you can bait an armadillo with, so a trap only works if the animal walks into it on its own. That means setting it right on the armadillo's path — at the burrow entrance or along a fence line or wall it follows — often with boards to steer it in. Pros commonly use pre-set wooden box traps. Getting the placement right is the whole skill, and it's why rented traps with food in them usually sit empty.
Skip the grub treatment
It sounds logical to kill the grubs so there's nothing to eat. In practice, grub treatment is generally not recommended: with less food around, the armadillo digs more holes looking for what's left, and the lawn gets worse. Catching the animal is what stops the digging.
Closing the burrow afterward
Once the armadillo is caught, the burrow should be checked for any others and then closed off so a new one doesn't just move in. That usually means filling the opening and adding a buried metal barrier along the base of the deck, shed or slab. Georgia has no special legal restrictions on trapping armadillos, but the placement and follow-up are what make it work.
Common armadillo questions in Marietta
Something is digging cone-shaped holes in my lawn in Marietta — 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 Marietta?+
Other Marietta 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 Marietta?
Armadillos are seldom the only animal working a Marietta yard after dark. See everything we handle locally on the Marietta 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 Marietta armadillo crew
An armadillo digs every night it stays, and a burrow under a deck or slab is more than a lawn problem. 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.
- Trap placement, not repellents. Traps set on the armadillo's own path, then burrow openings closed so another can't move in.
- Done right. Removal, exclusion and cleanup.