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Southern Cross Wildlife Removal
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The Danger of Armadillos
Using their long, sticky tongues, armadillos forage for ants, termites, and beetles, as well as other insects. They also enjoy a hearty diet of grubs and worms. Herein lies the crux of the matter with regard to the many Floridians who come into contact with armadillos.
During dry spells, armadillos are well-known throughout Florida for getting into back yards and literally tearing them up. The longer the drought, the harder the ground which forces the armadillos to dig deeper for their food. It’s not uncommon to find 10, 20, or 30 holes dug into the lawn when an armadillo is on the prowl in your neighborhood. They can inflict more damage to a well-manicured lawn than anything you’ve ever seen before.
Given this recurring state of affairs, there are countless attempts to capture armadillos in Florida, often by extremely frustrated homeowners. This process can often bring armadillos in direct contact with people on their own property. Most homeowners are unaware that armadillos carry leprosy, and therefore they unknowingly expose themselves to the offending bacterium by actually handling the armadillos.
Leprosy is caused by mycobacterium laprae, a slow growing bacillus, and can be transmitted via droplets from the nose and mouth of people with severe, untreated cases of the disease. The glacial rate of growth of the bacteria means that symptoms may not materialize anywhere from four to 20 years after the disease has been contracted.