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Armadillos
The Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is the only armadillo species in Florida and one of the most common nuisance species statewide. Armadillos dig characteristic foraging holes and burrows up to 15 feet long, often under foundations, AC pads, and pool decks — structural damage is the primary concern. Florida is one of the few states where armadillos can naturally carry Mycobacterium leprae, the bacterium that causes leprosy (Hansen's disease); transmission to humans from direct armadillo contact is rare but documented in Florida and Texas. Florida law allows year-round trapping and removal of armadillos on private property. Professional removal combines live-trapping along the active foraging path, habitat modification (irrigation reduction, grub control), and exclusion fencing where structural damage risk is high.
Armadillos leave distinctive signs of their presence: holes scattered across your yard. Large, basketball-sized holes serve as shelters, while smaller, golf ball to tennis ball-sized holes mark their foraging trails. These smaller holes are commonly found in mulched areas, dirt, or sand. If you're noticing these telltale signs, you likely have an armadillo problem.
At Dr. Critter, we frequently address complaints related to armadillos damaging sod, landscaping, and gardens. Our comprehensive armadillo control services include an inspection to identify damage and burrows, humane trapping and removal of the animals, surface filling and capping of burrows, and cleanup of biological attractants. Don't let armadillos disrupt your property. Contact Dr. Critter for expert armadillo removal and control.
What does armadillo damage look like in a Central Florida yard?
Two signatures, and they appear together. Shallow cone-shaped holes across the lawn, roughly three to five inches wide and just as deep, where the animal has nosed out grubs and worms. And a burrow entrance seven to ten inches across, usually tucked against something solid, whether that is a foundation wall, an AC pad, a pool deck, or a shed footing. The burrow is the expensive half.
Why do armadillos dig under slabs and pool decks?
Because the edge of a slab gives them a stable roof to tunnel under. Burrows can run fifteen feet and branch, and in sandy Central Florida soil that removes support from beneath concrete. Cracked pool decks, settled AC pads, and undermined walkways all trace back to the same cause, which is why armadillo work is treated as a structural problem rather than a lawn problem.
| Season | What the animal is doing | Typical yard sign |
|---|---|---|
| Mar–May | Young emerging from spring burrows | Several animals working one property |
| Jun–Sep | Peak digging, as the wet season drives grubs near the surface | Nightly new holes, fast lawn damage |
| Oct–Nov | Foraging continues; burrows deepened | Soil spoil piles at burrow mouths |
| Dec–Feb | Cool nights shift activity later and reduce it | Fewer holes, burrows still occupied |
When can armadillos be trapped in Florida?
Year round. Florida places no closed season on nuisance armadillos, and a property owner may have them removed at any point. What the rules do govern is disposition: under FWC rule 68A-9.010, a live-captured nuisance armadillo must be released on the same property, delivered to a licensed facility, or euthanized humanely. It cannot be relocated somewhere else.
Do Florida armadillos carry leprosy?
Some do. Florida is one of the few states where wild nine-banded armadillos naturally carry Mycobacterium leprae, and human cases traced to armadillo contact have been documented in Florida and Texas. The risk comes from handling the animal or its carcass, not from holes in the lawn, which is a good reason to leave trapping and disposal to someone with the equipment for it.
How long does armadillo removal take?
Usually one to two weeks. Traps go in along the active runway between the burrow and the feeding area rather than over the holes, which is the difference between catching the animal in days and never catching it. After removal, the burrow is collapsed and backfilled, and exclusion trenching goes in where a structure is at risk.
If the property is inside the metro, our page for armadillo removal in Orlando covers local response times and the soil conditions that make burrowing worse there.
