On Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:50:04 +0100, The Original Jake
wrote:

Finally, with the aid of £150 worth of metal poles, chain-link
fencing, concrete and kerb-stones I seem to have successfully excluded
that badger from the garden. At least there's been no sign of him for
a week (I spread some sand on the "outside" of my newly-constructed 8
foot long by 6 foot tall barrier and there are no badger footprints
in it though I seem to have possibly 2 foxes around).

Only trouble was that the blighter managed to totally destroy about 25
square feet of lawn every night he got in. I have about a square yard
in the middle left, the rest is wrecked. Galling in that I've spent
the last few years refurbishing that lawn, biting off about a third
each spring, and was looking forward to it looking as I wanted this
year. Now it all needs to be done again.

He also dug down a fair bit in the gravel paths but, for some reason,
totally ignored a freshly cleared and dug border that he had to walk
over to get in and out of the garden.

We have badgers visit our rear garden every night for the food that we
put out. This has been the case for the last 15 years and we have
experienced hardly any damage to the lawn or the shrub beds.

One year a youngster (who clearly did not know better) decided to
start excavating a patch of lawn adjacent to a path - we placed a
piece of green plastic mesh fencing down flat on the grass to cover
the fairly small area, about 1x2.5 metres and pinned it in place with
skewers. This cured the problem and the strange thing is that the
badger did not move on to another area outside the covered area. The
mesh is still there, the grass rapidly grew through it, I was able to
mow over it within two weeks and it soon disappeared from view. We
have had two recurrences in subsequent years and a quick repeat of the
horizontal mesh has stopped the digging very effectively on both
occasions.

If that fails or the damage is more wide spread the advice from
environmental bodies I have been associated with, is that as normal
fencing is frequently not successful as the badgers will readily dig
underneath it, is to install a small electric fence. The fence needs
to have two strands set 7.5 cm and 20 cm above the ground.
You can get a fence and a 12v battery to power it from agricultural
suppliers such as Mole Valley Farmers.
--
rbel

On 2013-04-04 08:44:04 +0100, Peter James said:
snip
My golf club is in North Cornwall and is infested with badgers. Every
fairway shows signs of extensive badger damage with some fairways
looking like a battleground.
Quite what the solution is I don't know. I do know the proprietor is
tearing his hair out in frustration.
I'm glad it's not my problem.

Peter

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...roy-pitch.html

--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 05/04/2013 09:49, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-04-04 08:44:04 +0100, Peter James said:
snip
My golf club is in North Cornwall and is infested with badgers. Every
fairway shows signs of extensive badger damage with some fairways
looking like a battleground.
Quite what the solution is I don't know. I do know the proprietor is
tearing his hair out in frustration.
I'm glad it's not my problem.

Peter

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...roy-pitch.html

Looks as if they are really having a great time this Spring
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-s...wales-22015691

On 2013-04-05 09:59:48 +0100, David Hill said:

On 05/04/2013 09:49, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-04-04 08:44:04 +0100, Peter James said:
snip
My golf club is in North Cornwall and is infested with badgers. Every
fairway shows signs of extensive badger damage with some fairways
looking like a battleground.
Quite what the solution is I don't know. I do know the proprietor is
tearing his hair out in frustration.
I'm glad it's not my problem.

Peter

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...roy-pitch.html


Looks as if they are really having a great time this Spring
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-s...wales-22015691

I imagine they're as hungry as all other wildlife in this bitter
weather. Perhaps they're having to dig deeper and further to find any
food.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On Fri, 5 Apr 2013 10:35:51 +0100, Sacha wrote:


I imagine they're as hungry as all other wildlife in this bitter
weather. Perhaps they're having to dig deeper and further to find any
food.

As their primary food is earthworms and the ground has been frozen for
many nights they have been finding it a bit difficult. We noticed a
marked increase in nightly visits for peanuts during February and
March.

Those who are experiencing problems with lawn demolition may want to
check to see if they have a leatherjacket (crane fly larvae) problem -
most badgers consider them to be a delicacy, as do corvids.
--
rbel

On Thu, 04 Apr 2013 22:17:56 +0100, rbel wrote:


One year a youngster (who clearly did not know better) decided to
start excavating a patch of lawn adjacent to a path - we placed a
piece of green plastic mesh fencing down flat on the grass to cover
the fairly small area, about 1x2.5 metres and pinned it in place with
skewers. This cured the problem and the strange thing is that the
badger did not move on to another area outside the covered area. The
mesh is still there, the grass rapidly grew through it, I was able to
mow over it within two weeks and it soon disappeared from view. We
have had two recurrences in subsequent years and a quick repeat of the
horizontal mesh has stopped the digging very effectively on both
occasions.

In my case, and as I approach the end of 2 weeks since installing the
physical barrier, the garden is badger-free. Meshing the entire lawn
is impractical as I have approximately 25 x 20 metres to cover and
the lawn's wrecked anyway. A badger group recommended spreading
peanuts but for the size of the lawn said I should get a 12Kg sack and
spread that over the place and then spread another 12KG sack when half
of the first lot had gone. And, of course, I'd probably end up choking
every small bird in the neighbourhood! If he was a goodger I wouldn't
mind feeding him but he's definitely a badger.

If that fails or the damage is more wide spread the advice from
environmental bodies I have been associated with, is that as normal
fencing is frequently not successful as the badgers will readily dig
underneath it, is to install a small electric fence. The fence needs
to have two strands set 7.5 cm and 20 cm above the ground.
You can get a fence and a 12v battery to power it from agricultural
suppliers such as Mole Valley Farmers.

I thought of electrics but resident cat patrols along the outside of
the fence and I don't want him deterred too as he takes care of the
local rats and moles very well.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East end of Swansea Bay where it got
dark today an hour earlier than a week ago!

On Fri, 5 Apr 2013 07:13:13 -0700 (PDT), "Judith, Massif Central
France." wrote:

Got any advice for rabbits???? I have been sitting ready, gun resting
on window ledge, no rabbits, I put said gun away and return, the
rabbits are all out there thumbing their noses at me!

I could lend you resident cat - he does rabbits as well!

Get another gun - then when they see you putting one away and return,
you can get 'em with the other one.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East end of Swansea Bay where it got
dark today an hour earlier than a week ago!

"The Original Jake" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 04 Apr 2013 22:17:56 +0100, rbel wrote:


I thought of electrics but resident cat patrols along the outside of
the fence and I don't want him deterred too as he takes care of the
local rats and moles very well.

I have a resident cat too. He's fabulous at killing rats (if they are
small). If he sees a big one with brown chisel
teeth he washes himself and pretends he did not see it.
Wise boy.
Those big boy rats give the terriers a run for their money but they are such
fierce dogs that they aren't bothered if they have a rat hanging off their
nose or even if it takes a bit off it.
which happened. a bit off the nose, so I insisted on antiseptic. they did
allow me to do it, but they thought it was funny. So did the dog. She was
up and aroused
for killing and seemed to feel no pain.
I was advised to keep my cat inside the house while the terriers were here
otherwise he would be an ex-cat.

These are not ordinary terriers like pets. These are the ones that sweep
through my garden killing rats ( and anything else)
I would not trust them with a child and if I had them they'd be out in a
kennel in my garden ( which apparently they are)
Didn't stop Jess - nice dog to me - killing her kennelmate one day.
They are bred for bad temper. otherwise they are not *hard* enough.

On Sun, 7 Apr 2013 01:00:19 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:



I have a resident cat too. He's fabulous at killing rats (if they are
small). If he sees a big one with brown chisel
teeth he washes himself and pretends he did not see it.

Resident cart here isn't that sensible. He doesn't seem to know the
meaning of the word though he is now used to the frequent visits to
the vet to have wounds dressed and a shot of antibiotics! He had a
Mexican standoff with the badger (which I wouldn't have gone near)!

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East end of Swansea Bay where it got
dark today an hour earlier than a week ago!

"The Original Jake" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 7 Apr 2013 01:00:19 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:



I have a resident cat too. He's fabulous at killing rats (if they are
small). If he sees a big one with brown chisel
teeth he washes himself and pretends he did not see it.

Resident cart here isn't that sensible. He doesn't seem to know the
meaning of the word though he is now used to the frequent visits to
the vet to have wounds dressed and a shot of antibiotics! He had a
Mexican standoff with the badger (which I wouldn't have gone near)!

Cheers, Jake

My cat is sensible..if he sees a fox he goes up a tree. We don't seem to
have badgers (yet)
He is up for killing small rats and what I always say is if he gets the
little ones they don't get bigger.
One day he presented 8 small ones, that didn't get into big ratz
Big ratz have to have terriers.
when the terriers come, I have to make sure Boyfie is inside the house
otherwise they will kill him, they kill anything in their path because they
have been trained to do so.
They will kill foxes but I said no to that.

so they are brilliant with big rats and they do not care if they are bitten
hard.

Boyfie minds very much so he gets the little ones.