How do I know a badger has visited?
- Small pits dug in the lawn, or patches of turf rolled back
- Latrines: shallow pits of droppings, often away from the sett
- Bulbs, vegetables or fruit partly eaten
- Holes dug under fences, often with coarse black-and-white hairs caught on the wire
- Five-clawed footprints about 4.5–6.5 cm wide (compare tracks)
- Scratch marks on nearby trees
Why are badgers digging up my lawn?
Usually for chafer grubs or worms. From autumn to spring, badgers dig lawns to reach chafer grubs feeding on grass roots. The RHS suggests controlling the grubs with a nematode treatment in late summer or early autumn, which removes what the badgers are digging for. Repair the turf in spring, once grub feeding has ended. What do badgers eat?
How can I stop badger damage legally?
- Check first. Make sure there's no sett on your land and that your garden isn't on an important badger route before trying to keep them out.
- Fencing. A strong metal mesh fence buried at least 50 cm deep can keep badgers out of an area. Fence vegetable beds and fruit separately.
- Two-way badger gate. Where badgers dig under a fence, a gate they can push through stops the damage without blocking their route. No licence is usually needed.
- Avoid electric fencing. It can harm other animals and cause problems with neighbours.
- Never block, fill or damage a sett. That's a crime.
Should I feed badgers?
It's best not to make a habit of it, because badgers can come to depend on you and neighbours may object. In severe weather the RHS suggests a small handful of peanuts. In a drought, water and a few covered cat biscuits can help.
How do I make my garden safe for badgers?
- Give ponds a sloping edge so animals can climb out.
- Cover drains and deep holes.
- Clear away loose netting, wire and litter that can trap legs.
- Keep dogs in at dusk if badgers visit.