Will Coffee Grounds Keep Armadillos Away? [Yes or No]

Are you fed up with Armadillos destroying your lovely garden? You heard someone say that Armadillos hate the scent of coffee but you can’t believe it entirely.

So, what do you think? Will coffee grounds keep Armadillos away?

No, there’s no such ingredient in coffee grounds that drives the Armadillos away. The caffeine in coffee isn’t strong enough to keep the Armadillos away. But you can use pepper spray, ammonia, vinegar solution, or essential oil in the required area instead.

I’ve covered all the details in this article below. Keep reading till the end.     

Will Coffee Grounds Keep Armadillos Away?

No, there’s no such evidence found that says coffee grounds will not keep Armadillos away. But coffee grounds act as a repellent for other types of animals, pests, and bugs.

These insects and animals create a mess in the garden. For example, your marigold garden can witness a great disaster. 

Now, seeing a disaster on your marigold plants, you might think it’s a marigold shock for transplanting. But in reality, it’s a bunch of animals ruining your garden. 

What Animals Do Coffee Grounds Keep Away?

Coffee grounds are successful in keeping away different kinds of mammals such as deer, rabbits, and cats. It’s also capable of making your garden snail, slug, and ant-free. 

So, if you have coffee grounds at home, you can use them as a natural repellent in the garden. But remember that it won’t repel Armadillos as expected.

What Smells Keep Armadillos Away?

Armadillos hate ammonia, vinegar, and mothball smells the most. So, if you use any of the smelly ingredients in your garden, you’ll be able to keep the garden free of Armadillos. 

You can also use different kinds of spray and homemade solutions to deter Armadillos. These alternative sprays are described below. I’ll also include some common repellents that don’t work for Armadillos.  

Does Cayenne Pepper Keep Armadillos Away?

Yes, Cayenne Pepper keeps Armadillos away. What happens here is that the Cayenne pepper scent is strong for the Armadillos. So, they can’t stay in the sprayed area for a longer time. 

You can make a Cayenne pepper spray by adding Cayenne pepper with water. It’s a homemade solution that acts as a repellent for Armadillos. You’ll find the recipe in the later segment on ‘How to Make Homemade Armadillo Repellent.’  

Will Pine Sol Keep Armadillos Away?

Yes, Pine Sol keeps Armadillos away. Like cayenne pepper spray Pine Sol is also strongly scented. 

It gives an eye-stinging feeling to the Armadillos. So, you can use it to prevent Armadillo attacks in your garden.

For this, you have to detect the track of Armadillos. Then, simply pour a few drops of Pine Sol on those tracks. You’ll see the Armadillos won’t come back again.

Does Garlic Repel Armadillos?

Yes, Garlic repels Armadillos. Garlic has a pungent odor that the Armadillos can’t take. It disrupts their olfactory senses and hinders their eyesight. 

So, if you spray garlic solution 3-4 times or keep 2-3 garlic cloves in the garden, the Armadillos won’t attack your garden anymore. 

You can also keep raw garlic cloves near the area where you’re growing passion flower and clematis together. The armadillos won’t go near that area anymore. 

How to Make Homemade Armadillo Repellent?

You can make homemade Armadillo repellent with different kinds of ingredients. The best natural Armadillo repellents are made of strongly-scented ingredients, such as vinegar, and cayenne pepper. These are natural repellents for the Armadillo. 

Here’s how to make a natural repellent to get rid of armadillos. 

Vinegar Spray or Sachets:

To make vinegar spray, you should add vinegar to a spray bottle with some water. Make sure the water-to-vinegar ratio is 50:50. Then, shake the bottle very well and the vinegar spray is ready. 

You can also make small sachets with vinegar to stop Armadillo’s attack. All you have to do is dip a few cotton balls in white vinegar. Then, put them in a mesh bag. 

The mesh pattern will help the scent to escape into the air. Finally, fill the bag with some rocks or heavy metal items and place it on the Armadillo tracks.  

Another great DIY tactic is to soak old rags in vinegar and keep them around the areas you want to protect. Flowerbeds and tree trunks are the best places for this. 

Cayenne Pepper Spray:

For preparing cayenne pepper spray, take a ¼ cup of chopped hot peppers. Mix it with ½ gallon of water. 

Then, boil the pepper-water mixture properly. Once it’s boiled, let the mixture cool down. Finally, pour it into a spray bottle and spray it on the tracks of the Armadillo.

You can also use cayenne pepper sauce if you don’t have raw cayenne pepper at home. Simply, add 10 to 15 drops of hot cayenne pepper sauce to a cup of water and mix it well. Then, pour it into a spray bottle and start using it. 

If you don’t want to use cayenne pepper spray, you can also use cayenne pepper flakes. Just simply sprinkle some flakes around the yard. The Armadillos won’t come near your garden due to the pungent scent of the pepper flakes. 

Essential Oils:

Armadillos can’t accept the flavor since these oils contain ingredients like lavender, lemon, peppermint, cinnamon, ylang-ylang, catnip, and Nootka tree. The best essential oil in this case is castor oil.  

Here’s how you can make a spray mixture out of castor oil. Just put 10 to 15 drops of castor oil in every cup of water. Then, pour the solution in a spray bottle. Shake the spray bottle well and spray the mixture in your garden.

Now, remember that Armadillos don’t eat any plants like biting off Tulip heads. But it makes a huge mess in the garden which is why you should keep the Armadillos away. 

What Can I Put in My Garden to Keep Armadillos Away?

Apart from using Armadillo repellent sprays, you can also put a chain or wire link to keep Armadillos away. You can also bury a fence for at least 18 inches into the ground to prevent Armadillo attacks. Keeping the fence for only 2 feet will do the job. 

Here’s a YouTube video on how to build an exclusion fence for Armadillos.

The reason you don’t need large fences is that the Armadillos can’t climb or jump off high fences. So, you’ll have to worry less if you can put a small fence around your property.  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Will Lights Keep Armadillos Away?

Yes, lights will keep Armadillos away. It’s because Armadillos are nocturnal animals. They hunt in the dark of the night. If you install bright lights, they’ll get scared and turn away from your garden. It’s a great tactic to save your yard from Armadillo attacks. 

What diseases do armadillos carry?

Armadillos carry Hansen’s disease. They also carry the M. leprae bacteria which is the sole reason for getting leprosy. Apart from bacterial diseases, Armadillos are also capable of spreading viruses that cause rabies. 

What time of night do armadillos come out?

The Armadillos come out from 2 am to 5 am at night. They love to roam around when it’s dark outside. So, you can take precautions for the last hours at night to prevent Armadillos from ruining your beautiful garden. 

Where do armadillos hide during the day?

Armadillos hide in burrows during the day in winter and underground during summer. They only come out at night to hunt food or roam around. So, your garden will be safe during the day from Armadillos.  

Will Irish Spring Soap Keep Armadillos Away?

No, Irish Spring Soap will not keep Armadillos away. The Armadillos don’t react to the scent of this soap. However, Irish Spring Soap helps to get rid of other animals. For example, this soap can repel mice, deer, chipmunks, and spiders. 

Final Words

I hope you got your answer to the question, will coffee grounds keep Armadillos away? By reading this article, hopefully, you’ll be able to scare away those Armadillos easily and effectively. 

Good luck!