Watching your precious garden get destroyed by armadillos is the worst. Fortunately, there are many ways to keep this sneaky animal away from your yard.

From electronic repellents to DIY solutions, the possibilities are endless. But they are also quite expensive and often provide a temporary result.

The most commonly practiced DIY solution is cayenne pepper. If you are wondering does cayenne pepper keep armadillos away, then I have the answer right here. Yes, whether used as a powder or as a liquid mixture, cayenne pepper act as an armadillo repellent.

It is an extremely inexpensive and accessible solution. But does it provide good results?

In this write-up, I will discuss cayenne pepper’s effectiveness as an armadillo repellent. Let’s get started.

Does Cayenne Pepper Keep Armadillos Away?

As said, yes, cayenne pepper keeps armadillos away. Hundreds of families around North America very commonly use homemade repellents such as cayenne pepper. Other DIY solutions include chili powder, garlic, mothballs, etc.

Wildlife Animal Control recommends using cayenne pepper to protect your yard and garden from armadillos. It is effective because it has a strong smell. If you take a good look at armadillos, then you will notice they have a pig-like snout. Despite their physical build, armadillos do not have strong eyesight.

Instead, these little creatures use their nose to dig and forage through yards and gardens. It is why they have a keen sense of smell.

Armadillos hate the strong, pungent, and spicy aroma of cayenne pepper a lot. This pepper will not cause any harm to these animals, but armadillos will begin to leave your yard entirely.

How Effective is Cayenne Peppe in Keeping Armadillos Away?

According to Mother Earth News, there is nothing more effective as armadillos repellent than cayenne pepper. They shared,

“As armadillos use their snouts when they dig, we decided to spread powdered cayenne pepper in the areas where they were rooting. After a couple of days of rooting, they didn’t come back. I’m sure the sting was more than they bargained for. In the past 10 years, we have only had to use our improvised armadillo repellent three times.”

Armadillos like to mark their territory by spreading feces and urine. They later come back to the marked territory by tracing the smell. So when you douse the area with cayenne pepper, they will no longer be able to recognize their smell anymore. This is another reason why cayenne pepper works great as an armadillo repellent.

Cayenne pepper powder works great as it is. If you live where it rains a lot then you will need to reapply the powder quite often. The pepper powder will get washed away, and the smell will dull down due to the rain. Soon, one or two armadillos will find their way back to your yard.

You can create a liquid mixture of cayenne pepper and spray that liberally around the yard. Or you can sprinkle the powder after every time it rains

Again, if you are worried about whether cayenne pepper will kill the animals or not, then don’t be. Armadillos can smell cayenne pepper from a distance and will stay as far as possible from the perimeter.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

Well, that is everything you need to know about cayenne pepper as armadillo repellent. Hopefully, you will no longer have to wonder does cayenne pepper keep armadillos away.

Armadillos are quite a nuisance. They ruin vegetable gardens, and yards and can cost hefty damage due to their burrowing nature. These animals mostly feed on the insects found in yards. It is why you can see them in your yard during nighttime.

These sneaky creatures also play a significant role in keeping insect infestation at bay. So, it is better if you don’t kill them. Instead, use a repellent such as cayenne pepper or safely trap and remove them.

If you are not interested in getting rid of armadillos yourself, then you can always get professional help.