Badgers in the garden

[doversoul1]

Does anyone know a badger deterrent gadget or method that actually works?

We’ve always had badgers coming into our garden. I counted six one night a couple of years ago, and in the past they ate my broad beans, carrots and sweet corn, but these were one off incidents. This year however, first, they ate the strawberries while the berries were still green and flattened the plants completely, both in the tub and on the ground. They came back three nights in running and made sure there was not a single strawberry left and no stalks were standing up. Then, they came every night for over a week and ate some half of the broad beans. I managed to harvest what was left and cleared the plants. The very next night, they made a battlefield of the carrot patch. Despite the fact that the carrots were still needle-size, they came back every night and dug through the patch. Then, they found the raspberries that we planted last autumn and just about the right height for badgers. There were only a few raspberries but they broke quite a lot of branches including many new shoots as they reached for the fruit through the bird net that was covering the canes.

It’s too late for this year but I might try somethig to keep them out the vegetables next year. But what puzzles me is that in the past, badgers ate the vegetables and disturbed the plant pots only when the weather was dry and the ground too hard. They may have eaten vegetables but seemed to prefer their natural diet. This year it looks almost as if they were actually attracted to cultivated food.

Any suggestions as to how to keep them out the garden will be very much appreciated (only while the vegetables are vulnerable).

[Mr Pee]

Does anyone know a badger deterrent gadget or method that actually works?

We’ve always had badgers coming into our garden. I counted six one night a couple of years ago, and in the past they ate my broad beans, carrots and sweet corn, but these were one off incidents. This year however, first, they ate the strawberries while the berries were still green and flattened the plants completely, both in the tub and on the ground. They came back three nights in running and made sure there was not a single strawberry left and no stalks were standing up. Then, they came every night for over a week and ate some half of the broad beans. I managed to harvest what was left and cleared the plants. The very next night, they made a battlefield of the carrot patch. Despite the fact that the carrots were still needle-size, they came back every night and dug through the patch. Then, they found the raspberries that we planted last autumn and just about the right height for badgers. There were only a few raspberries but they broke quite a lot of branches including many new shoots as they reached for the fruit through the bird net that was covering the canes.

It’s too late for this year but I might try somethig to keep them out the vegetables next year. But what puzzles me is that in the past, badgers ate the vegetables and disturbed the plant pots only when the weather was dry and the ground too hard. They may have eaten vegetables but seemed to prefer their natural diet. This year it looks almost as if they were actually attracted to cultivated food.

Any suggestions as to how to keep them out the garden will be very much appreciated (only while the vegetables are vulnerable).

I would be so delighted to have badgers visiting my garden that I think I would encourage them as much as I could and get my fruit and veg from Waitrose instead!

[amateur51]

Does anyone know a badger deterrent gadget or method that actually works?

We’ve always had badgers coming into our garden. I counted six one night a couple of years ago, and in the past they ate my broad beans, carrots and sweet corn, but these were one off incidents. This year however, first, they ate the strawberries while the berries were still green and flattened the plants completely, both in the tub and on the ground. They came back three nights in running and made sure there was not a single strawberry left and no stalks were standing up. Then, they came every night for over a week and ate some half of the broad beans. I managed to harvest what was left and cleared the plants. The very next night, they made a battlefield of the carrot patch. Despite the fact that the carrots were still needle-size, they came back every night and dug through the patch. Then, they found the raspberries that we planted last autumn and just about the right height for badgers. There were only a few raspberries but they broke quite a lot of branches including many new shoots as they reached for the fruit through the bird net that was covering the canes.

It’s too late for this year but I might try somethig to keep them out the vegetables next year. But what puzzles me is that in the past, badgers ate the vegetables and disturbed the plant pots only when the weather was dry and the ground too hard. They may have eaten vegetables but seemed to prefer their natural diet. This year it looks almost as if they were actually attracted to cultivated food.

Any suggestions as to how to keep them out the garden will be very much appreciated (only while the vegetables are vulnerable).

I think they're quite timid creatures in relation to humans. It may not be immediately cost effective but I'd be tempted to install a movement-activated floodlight if that is at all practicable.

[amateur51]

I would be so delighted to have badgers visiting my garden that I think I would encourage them as much as I could and get my fruit and veg from Waitrose instead!

You want to watch that nasty cough you've got Mr Pee or it'll be you they'll be after culling

[Flosshilde]

You could always keep a herd of cows - then the badgers would be culled so that they didn't pass on TB.


Of course, the cows would probably do even more damage to the veg.


Still, think of all the lovely manure.

[teamsaint]

You want to watch that nasty cough you've got Mr Pee or it'll be you they'll be after culling

Ams is clearly an expert, all learned from old Bob....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLdv6gler_M

I imagine that Mr Pee has a race track in his garden, which of course would solve the problem.

[Don Petter]

I think they're quite timid creatures in relation to humans. It may not be immediately cost effective but I'd be tempted to install a movement-activated floodlight if that is at all practicable.

Unlikely to work, in my experience. They take very little notice of light (witness this photo from our open window a few years ago), though they are much more wary of unfamiliar sounds.

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee507/Don_Petter/BadgersinGarden_zpsdd8064eb.jpg

[Flosshilde]

Goodness - that's a lot of badgers!

[gradus]

I had a similar experience with badgers destroying vegetable crops about 5 years ago. The badgers were just one of the batallions of Suffolk wildlife that attacked and only the erection of a continuous wire fence buried at the foot stopped further incursions. It is however best to erect fences after having expelled the resident rabbits, an error we would not repeat if given the opportunity.

[umslopogaas]

Right ... a subject where I can make a useful contribution, for once. I refer to the recent book 'Badger' by T.J. Roper', an old friend of mine who gave me a copy (Collins New Naturalist series no. 114, but take a deep breath before ordering it, the price is £50). Under 'Preventive Measures' (p. 273) he suggests firstly, an electric fence. Either electrified sheep or rabbit netting will do the job. His own research suggests a four strand fence with wires at 10, 15, 20 and 30 cm above ground is very effective. Voltage needs to exceed 4kV (consult an expert, I've no idea what this means in practical terms, but he has clearly investigated commercially available products).

If electrical fences are not possible (eg because of pets or children) a physical barrier in the form of a fence or wall will work very well, but badgers burrow and he comments on the need to sink the barrier below ground (I havent found a precise indication of depth, I guess it depends on how determined the badgers are, and could be a major operation, judging from the size of their sets).

There are no effective chemical deterrents and poisoning is illegal. Ultrasonic deterrents are worse than useless, because they actually attract badgers.

'Learned aversion' is a method which attempts to put them off by feeding them food which has been treated with something that tastes nasty. They soon learn to avoid this, but it doesnt put them off your crops.

[Richard Tarleton]

Following umslopagaas's excellent post, dover, worth researching a few options on the internet.

[Dave2002]

In parts of Devon I have recently seen signs which read something like "The countryside says cull the badgers, save the hedgehogs." I didn't realise that hedgehogs and badgers are in competition. Could have been a one off opinion though, and it means little to me. I'm not in favour of culling either at present.

[amateur51]

Unlikely to work, in my experience. They take very little notice of light (witness this photo from our open window a few years ago), though they are much more wary of unfamiliar sounds.

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/...psdd8064eb.jpg

Wow Don, great photo!

Perhaps teams is right and you need to get Old Bob down there.

[Nick Armstrong]

Unlikely to work, in my experience. They take very little notice of light (witness this photo from our open window a few years ago), though they are much more wary of unfamiliar sounds.

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/...psdd8064eb.jpg

Gordon Bennett, Don, I've never seen anything like it! Do they meet often?

[umslopogaas]

Dave 2002, according to Roper's book, what badgers eat is rather a controversial subject. Depending on where they occur, they may eat no earthworms at all, or worms may constitute half their total food intake. Overall, badgers eat earthworms, plant material, small vertebrates such as voles, and insects. The proportion of each varies greatly. Among the vertebrates they eat are hedgehogs and where badgers are culled, hedgehog numbers increase. The impression I get from a brief scan of the rather lengthy chapter on diet is that they are carnivorous when they get the chance, but will eat plant material if they cant get the preferred meaty stuff. I must admit, though I live in Devon (Bampton, near Tiverton), I have not seen the signs you mention. Where have you seen them?