What Should I Do After I Catch an Armadillo?

After seeing the first signs of the presence of an armadillo, and setting up traps, you have finally managed to capture it.



Now, you are not so sure what to do next.

First, do not neglect the captured armadillo, as it can die inside the trap, and you don’t want that to happen. Do not try to kill it, as the decomposition of the armadillo will last for quite some time, and the odor will attract other armadillos, and many other pests.

If you want to know what you should do after you catch an armadillo, get informed before you start catching them. Be very careful, as armadillos can get nervous inside the trap, and scratch you, which is not so good as armadillos are known to carry such diseases as salmonella and they carry the bacteria that causes leprosy.

If you want to take care of the armadillo by yourself, make sure you use protective suit, and gloves, as managing an animal that can cause any of the serious diseases is not simple at all.

You should take the cage with the armadillo, carry it at least six miles from your home, and release it in the wild. Make sure you choose the terrain that has bushes and water in the nearer area. This way, you will make sure that the caught armadillo will have enough food and water supplies, and that it won’t come back to your yard to dig holes.

In some states, there are laws that suggest that caught armadillos should be euthanized. However, if you are uncertain, it would be great if you called a specialist to check.

People usually choose to relocate the armadillo than to euthanize it, as it is much easier to relocate it, than wait for the decompose process to end.

Being sure that you’ve got rid of this pest, look for the holes in the yard, as these represent entrances to their burrows. Having found the entrances, plug them to make sure that armadillos won’t come back to your yard. Plug the holes loosely and monitor them for some time to make sure there are no other armadillos (baby armadillos) inside the burrow. This way, you will also make sure that the targeted armadillo hasn’t come back to reopen the entrance. After a couple of days of monitoring, if you are sure that the entrance wasn’t reopened, you can fill-in the holes.

Finally, if you are not sure how to catch it or what to do once you’ve caught an armadillo, you should call the wildlife services, and they will manage to do all that is needed instead of you.

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