David wrote:

Katra wrote:

In article ,
Kate Gilbert wrote:


We have something digging holes. ( big ones , like a big dog might )
It digs all over the yard and garden. Just here and there. Even has
started in the flower beds now. LAst night it dug so deep around a
telephone pole, He could dig up out of the ground , at this rate. We
live in south Texas. A neighbor said, he had a similar problem last
year . It was an armadillo. His dog got it, and he shot another. We
have never seen one around. Really, seen nothing that could dig ,
like this. I first thought a coyote maybe. But have decided that
wouldn't be likely. This darn thing has started to visit almost every
night. My husband thinks he'll try to sit outside and shoot it. I
don't want an armadillo shot. There aren't many anymore as it is.
Does anyone have any idea what we are dealing with? Can any of you
suggest a way we might trap it? Are maybe ( hopefully ) discourage it
? I have tried sprinkling red pepper and mothballs. I really think it
ate the mothballs. They disappeared in a day are two. No rain , in
the meanwhile.



It probably IS an armadillo...

You do not have to shoot it, they are very easy to capture by hand.
I've done it several times, just be careful!!!
You don't want to get scratched as a small population of armadillos
carries Leprosy.

Sneak up behind it slowly and carefully, then grab it by the tail and
hold it at arms length. Drop it into a cage or sack and relocate it.

You are right. There are not that many around here anymore!

Good luck! :-)

Kat


You folks in Texas want some of ours? Here in Florida we seem to have a
surfeit.

I've seen lots of armadillo holes and digs, but nothing as big as a
large dog would make. Is this a matter of a Texas sized armadillo ;-)

Seriously, we get armadillo tunnels and shallow digs to get to roots,
but that's all.

David

I kid you not. Whatever this thing is, he does dig a serious hole.
There may be more than one animal. Because last night he had a field
day, if he is alone. We filled in twenty - eight holes this morning.
Some small , others deep and large. He seems to like areas where we have
watered trees and plants recently. We have lived here seven years and
never even seen one armadillo. That was our neighbors idea. We have no
clue what it can be, actually. Thank all who tried to help. Kate