Armadillo Removal in McDonough, GA
Cone-shaped holes all over the lawn by morning, mulch thrown onto the walk, a burrow under the porch? That's an armadillo, and McDonough lawns, old and new, are easy digging. Call us and tell us about the job — we will confirm the local crew for your county before any work starts.
Armadillo damage in McDonough yards
Armadillos are more common in central Georgia every year, and they're well established around McDonough now. They work two very different kinds of lawn here. Around the older homes near the square, decades of leaf fall and watering under big hardwoods have left deep, soft soil full of worms and grubs. In the newer subdivisions, fresh sod laid over loosened soil is just as easy to dig. Either way the morning looks the same: cone-shaped holes across the grass, mulch flung onto the walk and plants pulled up by the roots. Some homeowners say it looks like hogs went through.
The armadillo isn't eating your plants. It's after insects and grubs in the soil, and that's why the usual fixes fail. There's nothing you can bait an armadillo with, and the sprays, granules and stakes sold as repellents don't keep one off a lawn. What works is catching the specific animal doing the damage, and that comes down to where the trap goes.
Old shaded yards and new sod
Under the old trees near McDonough's square, the soil has been building up for a long time. It stays damp and loose and holds plenty of earthworms and beetle grubs, which is exactly what an armadillo is digging for. Out in the newer subdivisions, the soil under fresh sod was turned and graded during construction and hasn't packed down yet. Both are easy for an armadillo to push its nose into, and digging picks up after rain, when the soil is softer still.
The burrow is the bigger problem
The holes in the lawn are cosmetic. The burrow is what to worry about. Armadillos dig dens under porches, decks, sheds, AC pads and slabs, and around older homes they'll tunnel in beside the brick piers or along the foundation. A burrow that keeps getting wider can wash out the soil under whatever sits on top of it. If you find a large opening under a structure, have it dealt with before it grows.
Why repellents and mothballs fail
Most people try something from the store first: castor oil granules, predator urine, mothballs, ultrasonic stakes. None of them reliably keeps an armadillo away, because it digs on instinct and simply moves a few feet to the next soft patch. Mothballs in particular shouldn't be spread around a yard or under a house for any animal problem. Every week spent on these is another week of holes.
Placement is the whole trick
Because armadillos can't be baited, the trap has to be put where the animal already walks. The most effective tool is a wooden box trap, set in place on a run along a fence line, beside a wall, or near the burrow entrance. Armadillos tend to follow edges, so a pro reads the yard for fresh digging, tracks and the path between the burrow and the feeding area, and sets the trap right on it. Georgia doesn't restrict trapping armadillos the way it does raccoons.
Skip the grub treatment
It sounds logical to kill the grubs so the armadillo has nothing to eat. In practice, grub treatments generally make things worse: with less food near the surface, the armadillo digs harder and deeper to find what's left. Catching the animal is the faster fix, and it leaves your lawn treatments up to you.
After the catch
Once the armadillo is caught, the pro checks the burrow for young, then fills or blocks it so a new armadillo can't move right back in. Around porches, decks and older foundations on piers, burying wire mesh along the base keeps the next one from digging underneath. On a property next to woods or a drainage area, another armadillo can show up later, so it's worth knowing the signs.
Common armadillo questions in McDonough
Something is digging cone-shaped holes in my lawn in McDonough — what is it?+
Do armadillo repellents, mothballs or ultrasonic stakes work?+
There's a burrow under my deck or old 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 McDonough?+
Other McDonough 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 McDonough?
An armadillo is rarely the only animal out in a McDonough yard after dark. See everything we handle locally on the McDonough 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.
Serving all of Henry County
McDonough is one part of Henry County. See wildlife removal in Henry County, GA for the county-wide picture — the animals we get called about most, and the other towns we cover.
One call to your McDonough armadillo crew
An armadillo digs every night it stays on the property, and a burrow under a porch or slab keeps growing. Call us and tell us about the job — we will confirm the local crew for your county before any work starts.
- Local to Henry County. Georgia DNR-compliant handling — call to ask about licensing and insurance.
- Trap placement, not repellents. Wooden box traps set on the armadillo's own paths. Sprays and granules don't work.
- Done right. Removal, exclusion and cleanup.