You walk out in the morning and the lawn looks like someone went at it with a garden trowel. Small cone-shaped holes, torn sod, maybe a fresh burrow at the edge of the driveway. That is classic armadillo work, and our armadillo removal in Haines City, FL is built to stop it before the damage spreads under your slab.
Licensed & insured. Free inspection. Humane removal and sealing.
The nine-banded armadillo is common across Polk County and is not a protected species. It feeds mostly at night, digging for grubs and insects, and it can dig a burrow fast. Primitive Wildlife Solutions is licensed and insured and handles armadillo problems for homes and commercial properties alike.
Armadillo Removal Haines City FL Lawns Need
Armadillos are hard to deal with on your own. They do not care much about bait, they ignore most store-bought repellents and they will move a burrow if they get spooked. We trap them by placing traps where the animal already travels, usually along fences, walls and the edges of beds, and by using the burrow itself to guide it in.
Once the armadillo is caught, we look at the burrow. If it runs under a slab, sidewalk or pool deck, it needs to be dealt with so the soil does not keep washing out.
Burrows Under Slabs, Driveways and Pool Decks
A burrow is more than an ugly hole. Armadillos like to dig where something solid gives them cover overhead, so they target the edge of a concrete slab, a sidewalk, a driveway or a pool deck. Over time that can leave voids under the concrete. Common signs include:
- A round opening about the size of a football at the edge of concrete.
- Loose sand or dirt fanned out in front of the hole.
- Cracking or settling in a sidewalk or pool deck.
- Fresh digging in mulch beds right next to the foundation.
Why New Subdivisions Get Hit Hard
Haines City has citrus groves and new subdivisions sitting side by side. Groves and open land carry plenty of insects and a steady armadillo population. When a new neighborhood goes in next door, the armadillos find freshly laid sod sitting on soft soil, full of grubs and easy to dig. Communities like Gracelyn Grove and Southern Dunes see a lot of this, as do homes along the US-17/92 corridor where open land meets new construction.
Rain makes it worse. After a good soaking, grubs move up toward the surface and the soil gets softer, so a lawn that looked fine on Monday can be torn up by Wednesday. Irrigated lawns stay soft all year, which is why the greenest yard on the street often gets hit first.
How We Keep Armadillos From Coming Back
Removing one armadillo does not help much if the next one moves into the same burrow. After trapping, we can close up old burrows and set up barriers along the areas they keep targeting. Our wildlife exclusion service covers the parts of the property where an animal is getting under a structure.
Grub control on the lawn also helps, since fewer insects in the soil means less reason to dig. We give you straight advice on what will help on your property and what will not.
Timing matters too. Armadillos are most active from dusk through the night, so traps go out before evening and get checked first thing in the morning. A trapped animal is never left sitting in the sun. Release follows FWC rules: on the property, or at a site of at least 40 contiguous acres in the same county with the landowner’s written permission, within 24 hours.
Armadillos, Snakes and Other Visitors
An empty armadillo burrow does not stay empty for long. Other animals use them for shelter, and that sometimes includes snakes. If you have spotted a snake near an old hole, our snake removal page explains how we handle it. For the full list of animals we cover, see our Haines City wildlife removal page.
Service Around Polk County and Beyond
Armadillos are a problem all through this part of Central Florida. Homes off E. Grace Avenue call us about it just as often as homes near the groves. Along with Haines City, we cover nearby areas like Lake Hamilton and Dundee, and we also offer wildlife removal in Poinciana. Call (904) 729-6285 to set up a free inspection and find out what is digging up your yard.
More Wildlife Services in Haines City
- Wildlife removal Haines City FL
- Bat removal Haines City FL
- Snake removal Haines City FL
- Raccoon removal Haines City FL
- Squirrel removal Haines City FL
- Wildlife exclusion and sealing
- Attic wildlife removal and cleanup
Armadillo Removal in Nearby Cities
Armadillo Removal Questions from Haines City Homeowners
How do I know it is an armadillo and not something else digging my Haines City lawn?
Armadillos leave small, cone-shaped holes about one to three inches deep, scattered across the lawn, from rooting for grubs. They also dig larger round burrows near concrete edges. Most of the digging happens overnight. If you see fresh holes every morning but never see the animal, an armadillo is the usual suspect.
Will an armadillo burrow damage my foundation?
A burrow under a slab or pool deck can wash soil out over time and leave a void under the concrete. That can lead to cracking or settling, especially in rainy months. It is worth dealing with quickly. We remove the armadillo, then help you close the burrow so water and other animals do not keep using it.
Are armadillos protected in Florida?
No. The nine-banded armadillo is not a protected species in Florida. That said, trapping still needs to be done humanely and any release has to follow FWC rules for nuisance wildlife. We handle the trapping and the follow-up so you do not have to worry about getting it wrong.
Why do armadillos keep showing up in my yard next to the grove?
Citrus groves and open land hold a lot of armadillos, and a well-watered lawn next door is full of easy food. As long as that habitat is nearby, new animals can wander in. Trapping removes the current problem, and barriers along the fence line plus grub control make your yard much less inviting.
Request a Free Inspection in Haines City
Tell us what you are hearing or seeing and we will call you back to set up an inspection. For a snake in the house, a bat in a living space or any emergency, call (904) 729-6285 now — we answer 24 hours a day.