Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi everyone.

This is only my second posting so I hope its a good one.

Can anyone tell me the tell tale signs of badger activity in your garden.

My house overlooks a large area of open park land and approx 8 weeks ago, around midnight I spotted a badger. Since then strange things, possibly once a week have been going on in my garden.
The thing that does puzzle me if it is a badger is how is it getting in. I do have a side gate but it only has a 4 inch gap at the bottom so unless its a champion limbo dancer or a world class pole vaulter i'm stumped.
So if you've had a visiting badger in the past what were the signs.
Thanks.

Hey welcome AndyTwin!

No post is a bad one but my badger skills are a bit scarce! I liked the new John Lewis Xmas ad with one bouncing on a trampoline, but don't want one on the lottie. Stay patient, someone will answer - we have the best & most experienced on here!

Westi

Hi Andy,

I'm afraid my only experience of badgers in the back garden (field) Are big holes and subsidence of hedges. My father in law is not a fan...... I think they're lovely.

What are the strange things which have been happening??

Maybe foxes, or cats? although I have seen footage of badgers visiting gardens where there's a good (and regular supply of food) - I would say a young badger could get under a 4 inch gap easily.

Pawty

Well I guess the jury must still be out.

Well Pawty you say a young badger could get under a 4 inch gap. The badger I saw must have been a full grown male. It was massive. It wouldn't get its head under the gate never mind its body.

The 2 strange things going on are these.

Firstly there are patches all over my lawn all scratched up. When I mean all scratched up, I mean the scratches are at least an inch deep.

Secondly, when a cat comes into your garden to do its business, it will find loose soil, dig a hole, do its business and if its feeling quite polite it will fill the hole in. Something is happening very similar in my garden but with a difference. A hole is being dug in my lawn, yes in my lawn which is no easy feat,then something is doing its business, but then not filling the hole in. The only difference is these holes are at least 7 to 8 inches deep.
So its definitely not a cat.

A Sabre Toothed Tiger wouldn't dig a hole that deep.

So Pawty what is it ?

Sorry Andy we don't have badgers where we live ,most other things, but I can say the only badger I've seen was on holiday in the middle of wales

Dear Andy,
those badgers are probably rootling round for chafer grubs and worms in your lawn.
Regards Sally Wright.

Hi,

My Pawty reckons badgers are a bit like cats in that they can squeeze through a hole that at first looks to small. It does sound like a badger.

Bit of an expensive experiment (they're about £70 on Amazon) but it would be amazing to set up a nature cam with infra red to find out what it is! We got one to find out out who was vadilising my car regularly, and am now planning to put it in the garden. Amazing what they can pick up! We're getting my mum in law one this Christmas to set up in vineyard so we can film the deer, badgers and other visitors .

Pawty

Morning Andytwin, the things you have described is certainly Badger activity....
As for where they are getting in, have you checked all round your fence line? if you have any large shrubs, they might have dug under the fence, behind one of these....

Either badgers or foxes, foxes might be likely option as they could also go over the top of fencing

Whatever is visiting my plot are digging quite deep wherever there is a good layer of well composted manure.
I've mentioned before that they are burying golf balls and chicken eggs.

The infestation of Japanese Beetles which we had in our lawns laid their eggs which turned into grubs which the local pesky foxes went after,digging the grubs up,and making a right mess of the lawns.It may be that you have o fox problem and not a badger problem,AndyTwin.Or both!!!

It could be either foxes or badgers. A few years ago in a dry season we had local badgers come into our garden through a pretty small hole they'd dug out at the base of a rotting fence. They diet consists of worms and other insects and when the weather is dry they are driven further afield from normal territory to search for food. Don't forget that although they look very bulky their fur is thick and capable of being squashed down.
Foxes are excellent climbers . We have an occasional visitor to our back garden who jumps up and climbs over our six foot fence as easily as a cat would do.
If you have any peanuts around for bird feeders, out a couple of handfuls on your lawn. If they've disappeared overnight it,s probably badgers. They love peanuts apparently.

The description of the scrapes for their excrement confirms for me and as oldherbaceous stated it is badger activity.

Barney