If you’re searching what do armadillos eat, armadillo diet, or even what does armadillos eat, there’s a good chance you’ve seen an armadillo in your yard—or you’ve seen the evidence they leave behind. Most homeowners don’t notice the animal first. They notice the small cone-shaped holes in the lawn, torn-up mulch beds, or patches of disturbed soil that seem to appear overnight.
Here’s the key thing to know: armadillos aren’t digging because your yard is “dirty.” They’re digging because your yard is full of food—especially the kind of food that lives under the surface.
This guide breaks down what armadillos eat, what they prefer most, how they find food, what they commonly eat in Florida yards, and what you can do if their diet is turning into a lawn problem.
Overview of Armadillo Diet
Armadillos are omnivores, which means they can eat both animal and plant material. But in real-life feeding behavior, most armadillos act like insect hunters. Their diet is heavily based on small creatures they can locate by smell and dig up quickly.
That matters because it explains two things homeowners care about most:
- Why armadillos show up in certain yards and not others
- Why the damage looks like digging and “poking” rather than chewing or tearing
Most of the time, armadillos are after food that’s underground or hidden in leaf litter. Their bodies are built for that job—strong claws, a long snout, and a routine of foraging when the ground is cooler and prey is active.
What Do Armadillos Like to Eat Most?
When armadillos have choices, they usually prefer easy, protein-rich prey they can find in soil and swallow quickly.
Their favorite foods tend to include:
- insect larvae (often the “grub” stage)
- earthworms
- ants and other small insects
- beetles and other ground-dwelling bugs
You’ll sometimes hear people say armadillos “eat grubs,” and while that’s not the only thing they eat, it’s one of the most common reasons they focus on lawns. A yard with plenty of grubs, worms, and moisture can feel like an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Armadillos can also eat plant material, but it’s usually not their first choice when insects are plentiful. Think of fruits, seeds, and tubers as “bonus items” they’ll take when convenient.
How Do Armadillos Hunt and Forage for Food?
Armadillos don’t hunt like cats or raccoons. They don’t stalk prey above ground or chase things down. Their foraging is more like a slow, methodical “search and dig” routine.
They typically:
- move along the ground with their nose close to the soil
- rely on scent to locate insects and larvae below the surface
- dig quickly with their front claws to reach what they smell
- eat and move on, repeating the pattern across the yard
This is why homeowners often find many small holes rather than one large dug-out area. Armadillos are sampling and foraging as they go.
Feeding times can vary, but they often forage at dusk, overnight, and early morning—especially when it’s hot. If you wake up to fresh holes, it’s usually because the feeding happened while you were sleeping.
What Do Armadillos Eat in the Wild?
In natural habitats, armadillos eat what their environment offers. Their “wild menu” can include a mix of insects, invertebrates, and occasional plant matter.
Common wild foods include insects and their larvae, worms, spiders, snails, and other small ground-dwelling creatures. They may also eat mushrooms, berries, seeds, or roots if those are available and easy to access.
They’re opportunistic, so they can sometimes consume things like eggs or carrion. But those are typically not the main staples. For most armadillos, the core diet is still “small things found in soil and leaf litter.”
What Do Armadillos Eat in Florida?
Florida yards are uniquely attractive because the conditions support the kinds of prey armadillos love. Warm weather, humidity, irrigated lawns, and thick landscaping often mean more insects, more larvae, and more worm activity.
In Florida, armadillos commonly eat:
- grubs and beetle larvae under turf
- earthworms (especially in moist lawns)
- ants and insect clusters in mulch beds
- insects living under leaf litter or garden borders
- occasional fallen fruit and berries
- mushrooms in damp, shaded areas
This is why armadillo activity is often worse in properties with frequent watering, shaded landscaping, heavy mulch, or lots of organic debris. These environments can increase insect populations and keep soil soft enough for easy digging.
If you’ve ever wondered why armadillos pick your yard “even though it’s clean,” it’s often because clean yards can still have a rich insect ecosystem underneath.
What Do Baby Armadillos Eat?
Baby armadillos start out nursing, then gradually transition into the same basic diet as adults.
As they mature, they begin to forage and learn to dig for insects and other small prey. That means young armadillos often follow the same feeding logic as adults—if a yard offers an easy food source, the area can become a regular route for them over time.
If you’re seeing repeated digging in the same areas for weeks, it can indicate a consistent food supply rather than a one-time visitor.
What Do Captive Armadillos Eat?
Armadillos aren’t typical pets, and in many places wildlife possession is restricted. In controlled environments such as rehabilitation settings or zoos, caretakers usually aim to replicate the insect-heavy nature of an armadillo’s diet.
In practical terms, captive feeding plans usually focus on:
- insect-based nutrition as the main foundation
- protein sources that mimic what they’d find in the wild
- small additions of fruits or vegetables as supplements, not staples
If someone is dealing with an injured armadillo, it’s usually best handled by wildlife professionals, since diet and care requirements can be very specific—and improper feeding can do more harm than good.
Why Armadillos Dig in Yards (It’s About Food)
Armadillos dig because they’re feeding. The digging isn’t random; it’s driven by what they smell and what they can reach.
They most often dig to find:
- grubs and larvae under turf
- worms in moist soil
- insects living under mulch or leaf litter
- prey near garden edges and shaded beds
So when you see holes, the “root problem” is usually not the hole itself. It’s the food that made the armadillo stop there.
This is also why you can fill holes and repair turf and still see the problem return. If the food remains, the foraging remains.
What Attracts Armadillos to Your Yard?
Armadillos show up where feeding is consistent and easy. Certain yard conditions make that more likely, even in well-maintained properties.
Common attractants include:
- irrigated lawns that keep soil damp and worm activity high
- grub-heavy turf
- thick mulch or leaf litter that shelters insects
- compost areas that increase insect presence
- easy access under fences or through gaps
You’ll often notice a pattern: armadillos don’t just appear “everywhere.” They show up in the same areas repeatedly—along mulch lines, around garden borders, near shaded spots, or in sections of lawn that stay softer.
That’s usually because those spots produce food reliably.
How to Reduce Armadillo Food Sources
If you want fewer armadillos, you usually need fewer reasons for them to feed in your yard. That doesn’t mean you can eliminate all insects (you can’t), but you can reduce the conditions that make your property unusually attractive.
Start by focusing on moisture and insect habitat:
- Avoid overwatering. Constantly damp soil tends to support more worms and insect activity.
- Keep mulch tidy and avoid thick, wet layers right up against structures.
- Clear heavy leaf litter where insects thrive and armadillos can forage unseen.
- Clean up fallen fruit that can attract insects and other wildlife.
- If your lawn regularly has grub issues, consider a lawn-health strategy that targets grub pressure and supports overall turf resilience.
This approach keeps your page focused on diet while still giving homeowners a clear “what to do” path. Reducing food sources can lower repeat visits, especially when combined with exclusion and professional support where needed.
Should You Worry About Armadillos in Your Yard?
Armadillos aren’t typically aggressive animals, but their feeding behaviour can create real problems for homeowners.
The main issue is property disruption:
- repeated holes across lawns and landscaped areas
- damaged mulch beds and garden borders
- erosion or disturbed soil in sensitive areas
- a pattern of recurring activity if the yard remains a dependable feeding zone
If you’re seeing fresh holes multiple times per week, that’s usually a sign your yard is functioning like a regular feeding route rather than a one-time visit.
When a Diet Problem Becomes a Removal Problem
Sometimes, homeowners try deterrents or lawn repairs but still see ongoing activity. That’s usually because the armadillo is still finding food—or it has established a routine path.
You should consider professional help if:
- digging continues after you’ve reduced obvious attractants
- the same areas are disturbed repeatedly
- you’re seeing signs of ongoing activity week after week
- the damage is spreading to multiple parts of the yard
Armadillos are persistent foragers. If your yard still delivers food, they may keep returning—especially in warm climates where feeding can happen much of the year.
Reach Out to the Experts at On Demand Pest Control
If armadillos are tearing up your lawn, the fastest way to stop the damage is to understand what’s drawing them in and address the issue strategically—starting with diet-related attractants and then moving to control options when needed.
On Demand Pest Control helps homeowners across Florida handle nuisance wildlife issues safely and effectively. We can inspect the situation, identify the most likely feeding attractants, and recommend the next steps to protect your property and restore your yard.
If you’re ready to stop the digging and get a plan that works, reach out today.
FAQs: Armadillo Diet and Yard Damage
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What is an armadillo’s diet?
An armadillo’s diet is mostly insects and other small creatures found in soil and leaf litter. They’re omnivores, but in practice they feed heavily on grubs, beetle larvae, worms, ants, and similar ground-dwelling prey.
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What do armadillos eat in Florida?
In Florida, armadillos commonly eat grubs and beetle larvae under turf, earthworms in moist lawns, ants and insects in mulch beds, and other soil insects. They may also eat fallen fruit or mushrooms when available, but insects are usually the main draw.
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Why do armadillos dig holes in yards?
They dig to find food. Most yard holes happen when armadillos smell grubs, worms, or insects beneath the surface and dig quickly to reach them. The digging pattern is usually many small holes rather than one large area.
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Do armadillos eat grubs?
Yes. Grubs (the larval stage of many beetles) are a common part of the armadillo diet, especially in lawns. If your yard has recurring grub pressure, it can attract repeated armadillo foraging.
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What do baby armadillos eat?
Baby armadillos nurse first, then transition into the same diet as adults as they start foraging—mainly insects and other small prey they can dig up from soil and leaf litter.
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What attracts armadillos to a yard?
Food and moisture are the biggest attractants. Damp, irrigated lawns and mulched landscaping often support more worms and insect larvae. Easy access under fences or through gaps can also make a yard a regular feeding stop.
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Will removing grubs stop armadillos?
Reducing grub activity can help because it removes a major food source, but it may not fully solve the issue if worms or other soil insects are still abundant. For persistent digging, you often need a combined approach: reduce attractants, limit access, and use professional help when needed.
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Are armadillos good to have around because they eat grubs?
They can be, because grubs and insect larvae are a common part of the armadillo diet. The downside is that armadillos dig to reach that food, and the digging can damage lawns, mulch beds, and landscaping. So they may reduce some soil pests, but they can still create a yard problem while feeding.
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How often do armadillos eat, and how much do they eat?
Armadillos forage frequently when food is available, often feeding daily in active seasons. They don’t usually eat one big “meal”—they search and feed in repeated foraging sessions, digging multiple small holes as they move across an area. In Florida, feeding activity is often highest from dusk through early morning when the ground is cooler and insects and worms are more active.