Armadillo Migration Poses Threat to Illinois – that’s right Armadillo!

Apr 27, 2023

Thanks to climate change, digging Armadillos are threatening crops in Illinois. Conservation biologist Anant Deshwal and his team at Bradley University are warning of the potential threat posed by armadillos to agriculture in central Illinois. With climate trends leading to warmer and wetter weather in the region, armadillos are moving northward and have been sighted more frequently in the area.

While armadillos have lived in southern Illinois for years, they are now moving into central Illinois, where they can cause significant soil damage with their digging. The animals forage for food and breed by digging holes, and use these burrows to escape the winter cold.

Deshwal's lab is studying armadillo migration patterns in the state and the potential impact on crop yields in the future. His team has attempted to brainstorm solutions to curtail the northward spread of the animals, but Deshwal ultimately believes that the best solution is mitigating climate change in general.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is asking the public to report armadillo sightings north of the Springfield area.

Video: Crop Stress Management in Cotton & Vegetables: What Texas Growers Are Seeing

Growing conditions can change fast, and this South Texas growing season is proof.

In this episode of Agronomy for Your Acres, Nutrien Ag Solutions Branch Manager Jacob Sosebee shares how growers went from concerns about heat and dry conditions to achieving strong harvest results. He discusses the role of agronomic planning, stress mitigation tools like Maritime, and how growers can navigate emerging pest challenges such as pasture mealybugs.

Topics covered:

Managing crop stress during heat and dry conditions

Maritime stress mitigation technology

Cotton and vegetable crop performance

Yield protection strategies

Emerging pasture mealybug challenges

The value of working with local agronomy experts