Armadillos love the insects crawling in your yard, but you would rather keep the mammals away from your garden. So, what’s the solution?
It is possible to keep the creatures away from your yard without hurting them. Instead of contraptions to trap them, I have a simple solution that works well - cayenne pepper. So, my guide will answer the question, “How do you use cayenne pepper to get rid of armadillos?”
How To Keep Armadillos Away Using Cayenne Pepper?
Armadillos are burrowing animals like moles, and they like to dig into the soil to search for insects. Their eyesight is poor; thus, they rely on their sense of smell to search for food and can unknowingly enter your property.
Using cayenne pepper is an effective way to keep them out. You might be wondering what peppers have to do with removing armadillos from the garden. But I’ll introduce a tried and tested method that you might want to try.
Firstly, identify your perimeter and sprinkle some cayenne pepper around the area you’d like to protect. Alternatively, take five gallons of water, five ounces of dry cayenne pepper, and two gallons of sand. Mix all these ingredients and cover your entire lawn with the mixture. Be sure to mask up and wear protective eye gear, face shields, and gloves to protect yourself from the spice.
Once that’s done, sprinkle a generous amount of water on the grass so that the pepper mixture seeps into the soil. Now, if an armadillo happens to come into the area, the spicy smell will irritate their nose, and they will not want to dig any further.
Some Other Repellants
1. Garlic
If you do not have cayenne pepper, you can try the same method using garlic cloves. Basically, grow a bunch of garlic plants all-around your property to repel armadillos. Since they have a strong sense of smell, they might not like the overwhelming scent of garlic and will naturally go away.
2. Castor Oil
Another remedy is adding castor oil to the soil and perimeter of your property. You can mix 16 ounces of castor oil with four ounces of liquid detergent to make a repellent solution. Put it in your spraying tank and cover the entire area. Castor oil gives the soil an unpleasant taste and prevents the armadillos from digging the area.
Furthermore, pour some water over this mixture to let it absorb into the soil. But, be careful while using castor oil because it can stain your clothes.
Final Words
If you already have an armadillo or two living in your yard, you can do two things. Use a safe trap full of earthworms to tempt them into the cage and release them in the wild. If this is not possible, hire a professional to remove them for you.
Any of these methods should work just fine, and your garden should be free from armadillos in no time.