[Villages Kahuna]

A landscape service person told me today that there are certain parts of The Villages where homeowners suffer from lots of damage from armadillos! I asked if she meant the round, "armored" animals that I thought were residents of Texas and the desert states. She answered that the Villages pests were one in the same. She explained that people go out and find their lawn and particularly planting beds all torn up when the pests root around for subterranean bugs, worms and so forth.

I had never heard of such a problem outside of Texas, where the greater problem there is that the little animals run on the highways and become traffic hazards. Has anyone actually seen and armadillo or experienced their damage here in The Villages?

[SteveFromNY]

Not in TV, but I have seen plenty of the little fellows all over parts of northern FL. I'll bet they're south, but I haven't spent as much time there. Just saw a few in February at the Ft Wilderness Resort in Disney where I was camping. They are pretty much blind, and with all that armor, and their apparent little tiny brains, have little fear of people. When camping once by Flagler Beach we actually had 2 of them come thru our campsite and pass under the table we were sitting at while they were foraging for food. Noisy little guys too - they make a racket going thru the brush.

[mailme]

We had them when we lived in Oklahoma. They don't come out during the daytime.

mm

[jjdees]

I've seen them in mid to northern Alabama, but never saw one in Georgia. I too was surprised. I always thought they were only in Texas and thereabouts.

[kd-dp2000]

Saw one dead in the middle of Buena Vista Blvd. about a year ago. Stopped to make sure it was, in fact, an armadillo !

[beady]

Tons of them in Louisiana. Mega road kill down there. Never seen any here, or heard they were a problem :dontknow: :dontknow:

[Muncle]

Do I have a problem with armadillos? Not the entire species, but individual armadillos can be a pain in the rear. In general, they are loud and abrasive. They're incapable of carrying on a honest conversation regarding politics or religion without crowing about their supposed inherent superiority. They are impossible to work with or for in that they never carry their weight and always try to take credit for everything. On the golf course, they are abhorrent. They talk while others are swinging, stand in your line of sight, and never, never rake a sandtrap or fix a ball mark. And god forbid you get behind one in the checkout line at the supermarket. And, of course, every time they get a cup of tea, they insist on a fresh, clean cup! :yikes:

[Village Kid 2]

They are definitely in north Florida. I have seen them at night often. In fact, I heard rustling downstairs one night and found that one had come in through the cat door and was happily rooting in the cat's dry food bowl. Ugh.

I'll bring a couple of the nicer ones down for Muncle.

VK

[Mikitv]

They are all over Arkansas. See them mostly as road kill.

[renielarson]

VK...how on earth did you handle that situation? I'm scared to death of mice let alone the thought of an armadillo in my house. What did you do to get rid of the critter?

[handieman]

Originally Posted by Muncle

Do I have a problem with armadillos? Not the entire species, but individual armadillos can be a pain in the rear. In general, they are loud and abrasive. They're incapable of carrying on a honest conversation regarding politics or religion without crowing about their supposed inherent superiority. They are impossible to work with or for in that they never carry their weight and always try to take credit for everything. On the golf course, they are abhorrent. They talk while others are swinging, stand in your line of sight, and never, never rake a sandtrap or fix a ball mark. And god forbid you get behind one in the checkout line at the supermarket. And, of course, every time they get a cup of tea, they insist on a fresh, clean cup! :yikes:

op:

And I thought I was "off the wall" :

handie :joke:

[LB]

Lots of them in West Palm Beach. Keep your screens closed and you will not have them in the house. I doubt they would go into house anyway. Very difficult to get rid of. I have tried everything.

[chelsea24]

Originally Posted by Muncle

Do I have a problem with armadillos? Not the entire species, but individual armadillos can be a pain in the rear. In general, they are loud and abrasive. They're incapable of carrying on a honest conversation regarding politics or religion without crowing about their supposed inherent superiority. They are impossible to work with or for in that they never carry their weight and always try to take credit for everything. On the golf course, they are abhorrent. They talk while others are swinging, stand in your line of sight, and never, never rake a sandtrap or fix a ball mark. And god forbid you get behind one in the checkout line at the supermarket. And, of course, every time they get a cup of tea, they insist on a fresh, clean cup! :yikes:

You found me out Uncle Muncle -- I married an armadillo! And he's a Republican!

[Village Kid 2]

Brightspot, as with all critters that have found their way in, either by themselves or the cats bring in, I open all the doors and chase them with the broom while screaming and they run scared until they find an out. The armadillo was tricky because I was scared of it and it was freaked too, plus blind. I actually felt sorry for it. :'(

[Pebbles]

I moved to TV this year from a retirement community in Winter Haven, Polk County, Florida. Our community was infested with armadillos a few years ago, they were digging up gardens and lawns and causing a lot of destruction. I do remember taking Pebbles out one evening, and there was the ugliest creature I have ever seen in my front garden. I don't know who was more frightened. So yes there are armadillos in Florida, I just hope they don't find their way to TV.