From time to time, we are overrun with armadillos. They dig in the flower beds, and the wife gets PO’d. I’d get up in the wee hours and look for them, and put a bullet in them, but that requires me getting up in those wee hours, when I could be sleeping. But, a friend of my wife (old high school friend) from Louisiana suggested an armadillo trap. Sounded ridiculous. What would you bait it with? But, I did look up the traps. They come in scented and unscented, with the scent being armadillo scent, which is actually the bait. Still sounded ridiculous, but I bought a scented one (just in case). Danged things work. Caught another one last night and apparently have at least one more to catch. Got to wonder who ever thought that trap idea up.

Info on the trap, I’ve got a need for one.

I would never get rid of mine. They have figured out how to completely destroy a fire ant mound.

Look on Amazon for wooden scented armadillo trap. Plans are an available on the internet if you’d rather make one. 3/4” treated plywood. I didn’t believe they’d work, but what do I know. My wife got to say “toldja so”. I hate that.

Ok Ok, here it is. Locked and loaded. Through that hole in the top, there’s a 6” or so wooden stick that’s the trigger. The Dillo goes in either end, due to the scent, I suppose, hits that stick and both doors drop down. It’s best to take some candle wax and rub it on the edges of the doors and on the cord. I use the hole to shoot em through it. The guy that recommended it said he’s caught over 40 Dillos.

We have had mixed results trapping armadillos in regular live traps that we catch other pests in. They have to be "funneled" into the trap with 2" X 8" or 2" X 6" boards.

Some go in the trap and others will never go in. Of course they typically like soft moist ground, like our sprinklered yard and my wife's planting beds. Funnel them in the area they have been feeding and they seem to root along the board until they walk into the trap. If you don't catch them the third night, he's probably never going in and you'll need to get up night and blast him.

The boards go out at about a 45 degree angle (or a little tighter)from the trap opening. We have supported the boards with cinder block on the outside, but home made J stakes from 3/8" rebar work better.

I tried regular traps for a long while. Tried to funnel them in there. Not much luck. This trap has worked real well, and I’m not in the yard at 3 am with a 22 and the skeeters.

Anyone use a game camera that sends a notification when it takes a picture of a varmit? Then get up and dispatch said varmit?

Thats how we caught them when I was young.

I use flapper door cage traps. The trick with armadillos is they're nearly blind so you have to put the trap in their way.

I just put the trap (shown above) in the area the armadillo are digging. I guess that the scent in the trap pulls them in. I don’t make any attempt to funnel them to it.

The trap, which my wife bought, because I thought it was all a bunch of hooey, was and is expensive.

I bought the same trap and then built a few more. They work really well! Have caught 30-40 so far. The key is the scented dirt (from previous armadillos) inside the trap which draws them in.

The scented dirt? That’s what the scent is? Great information.

I see a new business opportunity here!

"BayouGuy's Dillo Scent" For your armadillo trapping needs. (Also great on burgers.)

The trap had been tripped last night. We caught a big Red Eared Slider turtle. What was he thinking in his little turtle brain. I hope turtle scent doesn’t overwhelm armadillo scent.

I bought one of those scented. Caught 3 in 2 months around the house. Haven't seen any signs of any others yet. Hint: Don't leave it out in the rain and after awhile take some dirt out of an armadillo hole and put in it. That will "rescent" it.

bbqued or fried?

The neighbor said he cooked them in the shell when he lived in Bolivia. I’m tempted to let him cook one for us.

During the drought last 2 summers our sprinkler system brought in lots of armadillo's, my wife was furious and would go on patrol every night during my best sleep. I would get woke up demanding i jump to attention which i usually did. I kep a Model 37 Winchester by the front door. One night one was right outside about 20 yards so i didnt shut the door good trying not to make noise and when i shot it it did the normal Flip/Flop and came straight at me at a high rate of speed. The single shot did me no good and it got pass me and hit the front door and knocked it wide open, blood going everywhere, fortunately it bounced off the door even though it knocked it open. My wife wondered what the heck was going on out there. i had to wash the blood off of everything and and thanked the Lord he did not go in house.

That could have gotten real interesting real fast

That is a cool trap.
Snaring armadillos is an art. I went after them really hard a few years back and was getting about four a week. I was told that it could not be done

I have had more than one Wise county bastard bend those live trap doors open and escape. This looks like a better trap.

Usually 2-3 a year.....instead of the toilet at 4am, go outside.....with a shotgun and a good flashlight. This method has been working well so far.

Hey f rom central texas, good topic here! for our problem, we solved it pretty quick, had a fellow living under our house here,
im in a 120 old home thats on wood stump blocks, so have a air space under house for critters, i used our catch live trap, made a
semi vee in the yard, next to the flower bed in front yard. if you once got into bed area and left out, he just walk right into trap.
No scents around that i know would trap dillos. The best bait is live grub worms or live earth worms thats great food source!

After a few days of leaving trap set, finally caught with big dude!, took him off to other land back pasture,..... problem solved, no more
dug up yards. I dont like shooting them, im native texan had them all around our house, but out of yards.


Good luck with your hunt!.....