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Badgers starting to constantly break through from neighbours fence....what to do??

jpyettjpyett Posts: 2
in Problem solving
So next door has a large hyperactive dog that is now terrified of the goings on with this badger....in the dead of night the badger breaks through one side of our neighbours fence and then through the other side to our shared fence..it doesn’t seem to continue through to our other neighbours garden...

Although I love wildlife, this fence is getting pummelled and our garden is not dog friendly (work in progress) and we have 2 cats.

So my question is - what is the best way to work with this badger whilst also keeping our privacy and our cats and the neighbours dogs safe?  Is there a style of fencing? More concrete gravel boards at the base?

Any ideas?? 


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Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Maybe dig out a route under the fence to allow the badger access then he/she/they (! - just in case..) wont need to damage the fence which is what I done. Not ideal with your cats and other goings on but once they have their hunting route it's very difficult to change them - foxes are the same.

    I had a sett right at the end of my garden many, many years ago and was woken one night and saw the little ones playing on my lawn - a lovely sight.
    Eventually the badgers moved elsewhere and foxes moved in and eventually the area got so overgrown I could even get down there.
    It's now where my greenhouse and veg plots are.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • GreenbirdGreenbird Posts: 237
    I agree with a badger route. Perhaps replace the part of the fence with a native hedge which would provide a route for badgers. 

    Is the dog coming into your garden? That may cause a problem whilst you wait for a hedge to mature.

    Wouldn't worry about the cats
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Badgers love a bit of digging and they are powerful creatures.
    They can gouge out to quite a depth in one go. I used to find tennis-ball size holes 4-6" deep on my lawn after a visit.

    Sometimes they team up with Coyotes..
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-51422970/what-do-a-coyote-and-badger-tell-us-about-animal-relations
    I love this clip
     

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 4,254
    Pete.8 said:
    Badgers love a bit of digging and they are powerful creatures.
    They can gouge out to quite a depth in one go. I used to find tennis-ball size holes 4-6" deep on my lawn after a visit.

    Sometimes they team up with Coyotes..
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-51422970/what-do-a-coyote-and-badger-tell-us-about-animal-relations
    I love this clip
     
    I would probably love that clip too, @Pete.8 
    Unfortunately BBC clips cannot be viewed from abroad, which is frustrating.  :s
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    That's Brexit biting :)

    Try here PJ
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIz7gDS_aGk
    The same clip  - different channel
    The badger's bum as it waddles off down the tunnel puts a big smile on my face

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    The terrestial BBC was never viewable outside the UK, as far as I know.
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    You need a very strong  barrier, we have a metal mesh but more attractive fencing is available. Ideally, you dig out a trench and sink the fence about 6 - 10 inches below the surface. Pack the soil back and pound it down. Badgers do dig and sometimes find a weak spot, in which case we put in an old plank to brace the mesh. Badgers are like marmite but they are unlikely to harm your cats. They will wreck your garden, again and again.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I think the above suggestion to take out the fence and put in native hedging is great. I get the impression from the comment that they were wrecking the fence rather than the garden.
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    A hedge will not exclude badgers, although it may stop a large dog.
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    I understood that the wish was to keep the dog out and protect the barrier from badgers. A hedge won't do this.
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