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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

The Curse of Texas continues in here in mid-southern Missouri. No, I  
refer not to the Oval Office. I write of armadillos. I had become  
complacent about the problem when Dax was alive as he had simply  
killed them; I lost count at somewhere around 45.

With Dax gone, the dillo damage has become strong and ubiquitous.  
Everywhere, the best dirt is continually dug up and explored for  
grubs and worms. Last night, sleeping on the porch as usual, I was  
again awakened by Benny chasing a dillo out of the front yard area.  
He usually chases them back to their den or far enough from the house  
that he loses interest and I go back to sleep. This time his barking  
became more shrill and stayed close to the house so I got a pistol  
and flashlight, slipped into the Berkies and went out to check it out.

The dillo was under the truck, where Benny cannot easily go. With my  
presence, it made a run for the Christina Garden, which you may  
recall has a two-foot stone wall at its lower edge. I've been  
wondering how high these little buggers might climb or jump, as  
design information leading to appropriate garden edge protection. I  
was happy to see that even under duress the critter was unable to  
jump up onto the wall. It scurried along the base of the wall to a  
place of heavy leaf and grass litter and ostrich-like burrowed into  
the mess, anticipating relief. At that juncture Mr. Colt spoke and  
the digging ceased.

Until we replace our beloved Dax, it is obvious that we need to do  
something else for garden protection. The better one builds the soil,  
the greater the attraction to the armadillos. Plants, even tree  
seedlings are uprooted to die. Indeed, the cherry tree nearest the  
house has a heavy stone mulch because that was the only way to  
protect it from the damned dillos.

So please share your positive experiences in keeping these diggers away.