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Armadillo Removal in Columbus

Last reviewed September 8, 2026 against Georgia DNR published rules and federal statute. How we research this site.

An armadillo can turn a good lawn over in a single night, and the burrows go under concrete.

Columbus specifically

Armadillos have been moving up the Chattahoochee corridor for years and are now routine in Columbus lawns. The burrow under a porch slab or a foundation footing is the expensive part.

An armadillo rooting in a suburban lawn at night among shallow cone-shaped diggings
Illustrative Armadillos are after grubs, not your lawn, but the cone-shaped diggings are the damage people call about, and they reappear nightly until the animal is removed.

How you know it is armadillos

  • Dozens of shallow cone-shaped holes across the lawn, appearing overnight
  • Lifted or rolled-back turf where they have rooted for grubs
  • A burrow entrance about 7–10 inches wide beside a slab, driveway or foundation
  • Damage that reappears night after night in a slightly different patch

Why it matters

  • Burrows undermining driveways, patios, slabs and foundation edges
  • Repeated and expensive lawn damage
  • Armadillos are one of the few wild carriers of the bacterium that causes leprosy: a genuine if low reason to avoid handling them
Need this dealt with in Columbus?

Somebody has to look at the property to answer that. How many entry points or burrows there are, how hard they are to get at, and whether young are present is what sets the price, and none of it can be judged from a description. Send us your address and licensed local operators will quote the inspection and the work. Request free quotes →

How removal actually works

Armadillos are poor candidates for bait trapping; they are after live grubs, not bait. Removal relies on directional trapping along travel routes and burrow entrances, then exclusion fencing dug in and angled outward.

Timing

Year-round in the Deep South, worst in warm wet spells when grubs are near the surface.

What it costs

$250 – $550 typical

Removal is only part of it. Where an animal has been in an attic for a while, the contaminated insulation and droppings are usually the larger bill: what attic restoration involves →

What Georgia law requires

Anyone charging for nuisance wildlife control in Georgia must hold an NWCO permit issued by Georgia DNR, and cannot legally begin work without one. Permit holders must also maintain a valid Georgia trapping licence at all times; if the trapping licence lapses, the NWCO permit is no longer valid. Full Georgia rules →

Armadillo questions

How much does Armadillo removal cost in Columbus?

$250 – $550 typical. The spread comes down to how many entry points there are, how hard the roof or crawlspace is to reach, and whether young are present. Anyone quoting a firm price before seeing the property is guessing.

How quickly can someone come out?

Most armadillos calls in Columbus are handled within a day or two. If an animal is loose inside your living space, or there is a bite or scratch involved, say so when you make contact; that changes the priority.

Can I just do it myself?

Sometimes, legally speaking. But the two things that go wrong are sealing an entry point while young are still inside, and handling an animal that turns out to be a rabies vector. Both are expensive mistakes, and one is dangerous.

Is there a wrong time of year for this?

Year-round in the Deep South, worst in warm wet spells when grubs are near the surface.

Request free quotes

Licensed wildlife operators covering Columbus will contact you directly. There is no charge and no obligation.

We are an information and referral service, not a licensed wildlife control operator, and we may be paid for the introduction. You are never charged.

Get free quotes from licensed Georgia operators

Tell us what is in your house. We pass your details to licensed wildlife operators covering Columbus, who quote the work directly. Free, and no obligation.