Armadillo Damage Across Benders Landing: Why Fall Is Peak Digging Season
Short answer: fall is peak armadillo digging season in Benders Landing because grubs, earthworms, and soil insects move closer to the surface as the soil cools, and armadillos follow them up. Cooler nighttime temperatures also push armadillos out of their summer routine and into longer foraging bouts at dawn and dusk. The result is the lawn craters and shallow trenches Benders Landing homeowners start finding in fall.
If your yard suddenly looks like someone took a garden trowel to it overnight, especially in the lower, moister sections near sprinkler heads or flower beds, that is almost always a nine-banded armadillo working the grub layer.
Armadillo calls from Spring follow the same seasonal patterns every year, and our field technicians have seen these signs repeat across hundreds of local homes since we were founded in 2015. We handle armadillo removal in Spring, TX with crews who know the neighborhood’s terrain and the entry points armadillos target.
Why Armadillos Dig More in the Fall
The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) eats almost entirely soil invertebrates: grubs, earthworms, beetle larvae, ants, termites, and the occasional small reptile. Their entire foraging strategy is rooting through the top two to four inches of soil with that long snout and digging out whatever moves.
In fall, three things happen at once that drive heavy digging:
- Soil temperatures drop and grubs migrate closer to the surface, putting an entire food layer right under the lawn
- Cooler nighttime temperatures let armadillos forage longer without overheating
- Armadillos build winter burrows for shelter and to prepare for the spring litter, which means more extensive digging beyond just feeding holes
Texas A&M AgriLife notes that armadillos can dig multiple feeding craters in a single night across one yard, and a single foraging bout typically covers several hundred square feet. You can read more about armadillos in Texas for the underlying biology.
Why Benders Landing Sees Heavy Armadillo Pressure
Benders Landing is a wooded, lake-and-creek master-planned community on the north side of Spring with mature trees, drainage easements, and irrigated lawns. That combination is exactly what armadillos prefer: soft, moist soil for easy rooting, dense cover for daytime burrows, and abundant grubs in well-watered St. Augustine and Zoysia turf.
The half-acre and acre-plus lots in Benders Landing also mean fewer fences and more uninterrupted ground for an armadillo to work across during a single night. By morning, a homeowner finds shallow craters scattered across the lawn and around flower beds.
Our operation has worked this area since we were founded in 2015 by Mike Garrett, a retired U.S. military veteran whose field crews handle every job in-house from inspection through warranty-backed exclusion.
What Armadillo Damage Actually Looks Like
Armadillo damage is distinct from feral hog rooting, mole tunneling, and skunk grub digging. Here is what to look for:
- Cone-shaped feeding holes two to four inches deep and three to five inches across, usually in clusters across the lawn
- Shallow surface trenches where the snout has rooted along a line of grubs
- Burrow openings 7 to 10 inches across with a smooth round profile, often located under a deck, shed, brush pile, or along a fence line
- Disturbed mulch in flower beds where the loose material has been pushed around overnight
- Damaged sprinkler heads and shallow irrigation lines when an armadillo trenches across an irrigation run
The damage shows up overnight because armadillos are crepuscular and nocturnal in this part of Texas. Most homeowners never see the animal, only the morning evidence.
Why It Is Not Moles or Hogs
Moles tunnel just under the surface and leave raised ridges across the lawn. They almost never leave open craters. Feral hogs leave large, deep, ripped-up trenches that look like a small bulldozer went through. Armadillo damage is in between: clearly dug, clearly above ground, but smaller and more numerous than hog rooting and very different from mole ridges. Identifying the right animal matters because the removal approach is different for each.
Important: Armadillos are one of the few wild mammals in Texas that can carry the bacterium responsible for leprosy in humans. The CDC documents how leprosy is transmitted, including the role of nine-banded armadillos. The risk is low but real, and it is one reason homeowners should not handle armadillos directly or attempt to dig them out of a burrow.
We use 23-gauge aluminum fabricated on-site with a metal brake and painted to match the home – not spray foam, not steel wool, not off-the-shelf patches. Our field experience means we know which openings to prioritize and which materials actually hold up.
How Armadillo Removal Actually Works
Armadillos cannot be poisoned (no labeled product), they do not respond reliably to repellents, and they will dig under most fences. The only consistent solution is trapping and removal. We handle armadillo work as a complete sequence:
- Inspection. Locate the active burrow, identify travel corridors between the burrow and the feeding sites, and note any structural damage.
- Targeted trapping. Live cage traps placed along the active travel paths with funnel boards to direct the armadillo into the trap entrance. Armadillos do not respond to bait the way other species do, so placement matters more than scent.
- Relocation. Trapped armadillos are removed from the property in accordance with Texas Parks and Wildlife rules. No poison and no kill traps.
- Burrow exclusion. Inactive burrows backfilled and the entry points blocked with hardware cloth and soil. Active burrows under decks, sheds, and outbuildings sealed once the animal is confirmed gone.
- Yard repair guidance. Recommendations for filling feeding craters and addressing the underlying grub population so the property is less attractive next season.
All work is performed in-house by trained technicians. No subcontractors.
Yard-Level Things You Can Do
Reduce the grub population. If a lawn has a heavy grub load, armadillos will keep coming back until that food source is gone. A licensed turf company can apply a grub control product. Wildlife removal and turf treatment are separate industries with separate licensing, so this is not something we handle directly.
Cut back dense ground cover along the foundation, fence lines, and outbuildings. Armadillos rely on dense cover to feel safe approaching open lawn.
Block burrow access under decks, sheds, and AC pads using galvanized hardware cloth buried at least 12 inches deep and bent outward in an L-shape to prevent re-digging.
Adjust irrigation runtimes. Heavy daily watering keeps soil soft and grub activity high. Deeper, less frequent watering supports the lawn without creating ideal armadillo conditions.
If you are looking for armadillo removal services in Spring, Texas, contact The Critter Team in Benders Landing, Spring, Texas today at (281) 800-4992
The Critter Team
17627 Shadow Valley Dr
Spring, TX 77379
(281) 800-4992
đź“Ť Benders Landing, Spring, TX
Call today if you are in need of a armadillo removal services in Benders Landing, Spring
The Critter Team
17627 Shadow Valley Dr
Spring, TX 77379
(281) 800-4992
Check out our other armadillo related articles:
Armadillo activity in Spring Lakes digging patterns & Armadillo trapping Spring, TX feeding patterns
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is armadillo damage worse in Fall in Benders Landing?
Soil temperatures drop in fall, which pushes grubs, beetle larvae, and earthworms closer to the surface. Armadillos follow that food layer up. Cooler nighttime temperatures also let them forage longer without overheating. On top of that, fall is when armadillos build winter burrows. The combination produces the cluster of feeding craters and shallow trenches homeowners start finding in fall.
How do I know it is an armadillo and not moles or feral hogs?
Armadillos leave cone-shaped feeding holes two to four inches deep and three to five inches across, usually in clusters. Moles leave raised surface ridges, almost never open holes. Feral hogs leave large, deep, ripped-up trenches that look bulldozed. Armadillo damage is open, scattered, and overnight. If the holes appeared between sundown and sunrise, that is almost always armadillo work.
Will repellents or sound devices keep armadillos out?
Not reliably. Armadillos do not respond to most commercial repellents, and motion-activated sound or light devices may slow them down for a few nights at most before they ignore them. The only consistent solution is trapping the animal and physically excluding it from the burrow site. Reducing the underlying grub population helps prevent re-infestation.
Is it true armadillos can carry leprosy?
Yes. The nine-banded armadillo is one of the few wild mammals in Texas that can carry the bacterium responsible for leprosy. The CDC tracks transmission cases. The actual human risk is low, but it is real, and it is one reason homeowners should not handle armadillos directly, dig them out of burrows, or eat them. Trapping and removal should be done by trained personnel using proper handling protocols.
How long does armadillo trapping usually take?
For a typical Benders Landing property with one resident armadillo, trapping usually takes between three days and two weeks depending on activity patterns and burrow location. If multiple animals are present, the timeline extends. Burrow exclusion and any structural sealing happens after the animals are confirmed removed. Yard repair is on the homeowner or a turf company.