Now What?

What to do with a captive armadillo?

Yes, Fio and Husband finally caught one of the beasties that has been plowing their yard and trying to dig up their water pipe.  Husband figured out how to set up the trap and Fiorella, who got friendly with the pest control service guys she used to employ, knew exactly where to put it and how to place the side pieces so they would funnel the armadillo into the hair-trigger cage.

But now they have to get rid of the beast and reset the trap for the rest of the tribe.  The pest service guys would throw trapped armadillos into the back of their truck, take them further out into the boondocks, and shoot them, then take their remains to the dump, but Fio and Husband are squeamish about killing things.

City friends are all for transporting our armadillo out of the area and releasing it, but transporting it in either one of our cars is not going to happen--armadillos are vile creatures.  Also, the pest control people told Fio that armadillos will usually return to their accustomed habitats.

Maybe the neighbors will blast the armadillo for us. Check back later for a follow -up.

Squeak!

The evidence showed up two days ago--two plastic bags that had been chewed through to get to Fio's cache of of Spanish peanuts.  So she bought a replacement bag.  Yesterday she discovered both the peanuts and her walnuts had been broached, as had the bag of rice next to them, so she began cleaning out the pantry, looking for droppings, which she indeed found.  Yes, Fio has a mouse in the house.

The first thing she did was close up the open box of dog treats and anything else that seemed vulnerable.  But let's face it--metal is the only thing mice can't gnaw through, and Fio has no intention of storing all her foodstuffs in steel canisters.  The mouse has to go, even if it's a mother.  ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A MOTHER.

Husband bought a mousetrap, armed it, and put it on a pantry shelf, and today he'll set up the electronic thing that's supposed to drive rodents out of the house without bothering people or dogs.  Fio's hoping that one way or another, Mickey/Minnie will depart the premises.

Return of the Ravaging Hordes

We must have the tastiest soil in the neighborhood because the armadillos are back.  They've plowed up the zoysia grass, ravaged the planting beds, and dug about ten inches down next to the water pipe.  Fio started filling the hole the other day and the dirt just kept disappearing into the depths.  She wouldn't be surprised if a litter of the little monsters ended up buried live down there.

What to do about them?  Fio bought a trap and set it up along the house next to the water pipe, but nothing's happened yet.  And if it does, what then?  Let's face it--neither Husband nor Fio would deliberately kill another living creature. And it doesn't seem right to take the beast twenty miles down the road and release it into some unsuspecting farmer's cornfield.  Besides, Husband doesn't want to carry an inhabited armadillo cage around in the trunk of his car.

Sort of like Russia doesn't want to play host to a stinker like Edward Snowden.

You'll Pay for It

Armadillo, it's your day
Come feast at Fio's grub buffet
And while you're at it, clever chap,
See if you can snap the trap

Varmint after Varmint

Fiorella is nothing if not obsessive. So, having racked up armadillo number six on her scorecard yesterday, she raced downstairs this morning and checked to see if there was a number seven.

Yes! The trap had been sprung, but what was that in it? It looked like--it was! A skunk!

Be interesting to see how the trapper man handles this one.