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Please help....something is digging my lawn!!

lnorrisalpinelnorrisalpine Posts: 8
in Plants
I live in East Sussex and have a large garden that I spend many hours looking after. I wonder if anyone has any advice about how I can prevent something digging my lawn every night. This has been going on for a few months and my once beautiful lawn now looks like a field! Every morning there are at least 20 patches from small holes of a few inches diameter and depth. This morning there are about 40 patches, the holes are 8 - 10 inches deep and the same diameter. Does anyone have any ideas what animal is doing this and what I can do to deter them? I'm so upset today as my garden looks so awful. Any ideas I would be really grateful for. Thank you.
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Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Sounds like badgers ... and I know there are plenty of those in East Sussex.  

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • lnorrisalpinelnorrisalpine Posts: 8
    Thank you......any thoughts how I can deter them from digging and being so destructive?
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    I would put my money on badgers. We had the same issue but, fortunately, they have now largely stopped doing it even though they still visit nightly. Deterrence is quite a problem because it is illegal, I believe, even to block their runs. You could try a diversionary tactic of giving them an alternative food source - ours make a beeline for the ground bird feeder especially if filled with peanuts - but you run the risk of encouraging them to visit and then dig for worms etc for afters, and to bring their friends with them.
    Rutland, England
  • lnorrisalpinelnorrisalpine Posts: 8
    Thank you. I might try leaving something out at the other end of the garden and see if this distracts them. They are a beautiful animal but so destructive. I hoped the really dry lawn from the recent heat would stop the digging but the last few days has been a bit dewy and the problem has escalated beyond belief!!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Easier for them to access their food once there's a bit of dampness. Tricky when you want a nice garden and they're digging it up. If only they were around when you need a hole to plant something new!

    There are badgers fairly near me, but far enough away, and with enough ground and food  suitable for them, so they don't tend to get into gardens, although I have seen them going in and out occasionally.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • lnorrisalpinelnorrisalpine Posts: 8
    Thanks. You're right, its so disappointing, I do feel like giving up looking after my garden!! Perhaps I should sit up all night and shoo them away!!
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    You could put out camera traps. But if you actually see them trashing your lawn, it might make it worse for you.
  • lnorrisalpinelnorrisalpine Posts: 8
    Trust me, I could not feel any worse about my garden today. Anything is worthy of trying. Thanks.
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    It's a real problem because badgers tend to follow a particular route for generations and if it includes your garden they are unlikely to go elsewhere. There are two approaches, I feel. One is to just accept it and say that my garden is also a part of the countryside and so are badgers. They will root out and destroy wasp nests, which is an advantage at times. The other is to fence and be damned. Electric fencing, low down and run off a battery or the mains is very persuasive and easily removed if someone should point out that you shouldn't have it. The badgers will soon find an alternative route if they have too so you need not fear harming them.
  • lnorrisalpinelnorrisalpine Posts: 8
    Thank you Poppy. I think your right with routes. I might try to find where they're coming in and perhaps look at rerouting their path. I'll have to weigh up all the options. I can't ultimately accept leaving the dug lawn as I have a little grandson who visits regularly. He loves running around and hide n seek but if he put a foot ih one of the holes we'd be easily looking at broken ankles!! A dilemma indeed. Thanks for your help.
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