How to get rid of an armadillo?

[BorderKelpie]

My mother is having a problem with a family of armadillos. They haven't killed anything that I know of, but they are digging up her yard and driving her dogs insane. I worry about disease transmission, etc since my children spend a lot of time there. Also, my dad is immuno-compromised. Is there a way of trapping/killing these things? What would be the best bait for trapping. I figure I would release them at the Environmental Center. They have allowed me to release trapped oppossums there before.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[Judy]

I googled "trapping armadillos" and learned a lot. They will not go into a trap for bait. Shooting is simplest, legal here but I don't know about Texas. There are repellant methods. They are dangerous to handle for several reasons. A professional trapper is another option.

 

[Mahonri]

Glad they haven't migrated west! We have coyotes to worry about here.

 

[JJMR794]

.22 LONG RIFLE

 

[CoonX]

Trapping the Half shelled possums is fairly easy.
Get a 12x12 cage trap and some long 2x4s, or garden fencing. Create a funnel with the 2x4s on side heading into the cage trap.

Mahonri, want me to send you a couple dozen or so?

I also call them a moving cinder block, that's what it feels like when you hit them with your vehicle.

 

[BorderKelpie]

Thank you all for the replies. I will try to funnel the 'half-shelled 'possum' this weekend.
(I've never heard them called that, too cute - for a scary looking bugger!)

 

[irf1983]

Get some dogs. Our old house backed up to 300 acres of woods. My dogs would usually get 1-2 per day when we took them on walks. Meli (part greyhound) would run them down and pin until Oni (fatty) would catch up and then it was tug of war time. On more than one occasion we saw them split an armadillo in two and run off with the halves. We started to call them the Armakillos.

 

[CitySoil]

You can't catch Hansen's Disease from an armadillo unless you eat undercooked meat. Even then, the odds are miniscule.

https://www.msu.edu/~nixonjos/armadillo/faq.html