They're Back! Armadillo in my Flower Bed

16 years ago

More digging; last night one plowed into my seedling orange zinnias. The trap is set, once again. Last year we dispatched more than 20 of the things, but a new wave has started up, especially with the woods so dry and my freshly watered flower beds so tempting.

Nell

Here's one that's a keeper:

{{gwi:149498}}
Hand welded of scrap metal, he's checking out the pink pentas in a bed of 'Daddy' petunias.

{{gwi:149499}}

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Comments (11)

nanatink
16 years ago
Being a Wisconsinite, I've never seen a live armadillo. Your metal one is adoreable though!
thrift_shop_romantic
16 years ago
Ha- you really had me going there until I saw your metal four-legged friend.

Being a Northern girl, though I had no idea that armadillos were so hard on gardens.

Thanks for the education! :-) Here's hoping your scare-armadillo will help your garden be 'dillo-free.

--Jenn
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June, yes it's so cute. But I hope you haven't tried to touch or pet it? There is a disease that wild rabbits carry called "rabbit fever", Tularemia - you don't want to get that. As long as you don't touch it or handle anything that it touches you're fine so don't freak out completely but if you look up that disease you'll learn more about it. If it gets into the lungs it can actually kill you. There are several different ways that the disease can attack, so I think the pneumonia one is the worst and most dangerous. I suspect that I got it from handling a wounded baby rabbit a few years back. I woke up about 3 nights later and I was having a hard time breathing, very rapid and shallow, to the point where I couldn't even get up, I had a fever and bad headache and I was shivering so hard and strong that my whole body hurt. I actually thought that I was about to die but I couldn't even get the strength to get up and do anything, finally I guess I passed out and when I woke up everything was back to normal again. It was very scary. I found out about rabbit fever from a neighbor who said a friend of hers wound up in the emergency room with it - same thing - she was handling a wounded baby.
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luvs2click
16 years ago
Nell - I understand your problem! Here in the north we have skunks that tear up the yard and garden and make an awful mess looking for grubs. I have my live trap out trying to catch the critter. So far all I've caught is a stray cat. I was surprised when traveling to FL to see so many armadillo as roadkill. Of course we don't have them up here!

Arlene

Arlene
craftyjanjan
16 years ago
I love your armadillo better than the ones I see in my yard. Lol. They sure can tear up a yard and flower beds too.
jannoel_gw
16 years ago
A skunk pulled my begonias out of a pot just last night. I've had less trouble with her this spring because we now have an outside dog so this is the first damage other than small holes all over the yard. Those I don't mind because I think (oh please, oh please) she is eating Japanese beetle grubs. I think I would rather have skunks than armadillos - they are cuter, especially the babies.
anjabee
16 years ago
I know they can tear things up, but I think they are cute. We had 2 for pets for a while when we were young. Caught them when they were really little. We had lots of fun with them although my mom was scared we were going to catch a disease from them. I like your metal one. Much less damage to your plants. :) ~Anj
cindee11461
16 years ago
very cute. I have never seen a armadillo either. CA girl here...but we have skunks here too. Peeeewwwwwwwwww nasty smelling things. And they don't get along with my chickens either)-: We also have raccoons...deer etc.
little_dani
16 years ago
Teehee, Nell. Cute armadillo. That's the perfect spot for him.

Love your petunias! They are pretty!

Janie
nonacook
16 years ago
We have possum and racoons, but no armadillos, thank goodness. Friends a mile or 2 north of us do and they really mess up their yards. Love the welded one!
princess_mimi
16 years ago
We have skunks, possums, deer, commando attack bunnies from h*#@, and GROUNDHOGS! I live in the suburbs just west of Columbus and last year we dispatched two of those nasty beasts. Yesterday another one moved in under my dear neighbor Beverly's (aka Storygardener) deck. They are so destructive and that can be dangerous! Some suburbanties don't understand that they are vermin and want to relocate the buggers out to some poor unsuspecting farmer's fields. Good thing that Bev and I have no such delusions! I just couldn't make it any harder for a small farmer to make a living by loosing a destructive woodchuck on his property.

Your metal armadillo is adorable! Groundhogs don't even make cute garden statues! I'm jealous!

~~Mimi
katladie
16 years ago
I had to replant a torenia this morning. And they came really close to my chartreuse spiderwort. They tear up the mulch looking for worms. I can't use a live trap because all I would catch is cats. I am at my wits end with them and they are just starting.

Sharon

They're Back! Armadillo in my Flower Bed

Comments (11)

nanatink

thrift_shop_romantic

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