Flaming Badgers!

[jackfidget]

Hi all

I have had an allotment now for 2 years and am really enjoying it! However one big downside is the badger (or bagders!) that like to visit regularly. He completely decimated most peoples carrot and sweetcorn crops last year. We are contstanly blocking up holes he makes to get in the site but he just digs another one! Any idea of anthing we can do to deter him from visting?

I'm new to this so hello to you all and any advice would be grateful!

[SarzWix]

Electric fence? You can run them off batteries.

[Leif]

I have one of those ultrasonic cat scarer devices on my lawn. I do not yet know if it works, I've had it for a few weeks only. It has a range of frequencies, so it can be tuned to a given animal e.g. cat. This is the one:

PestBye Battery Operated Cat Repeller £16.95

There are other sellers too. They do not list badgers, but I assume they have ears. You can buy rechargeable batteries, but get Low Self Discharge ones, which do not discharge even when not being used.

[Veggielot]

Puts my mole problem in prospective

[Glutton4...]

Hello, and welcome to the Madhouse!

Badgers are very strong and very persistent. I'd be inclined to try both the above. Good luck with them!

[jackfidget]

Thanks guys. Its nice to be here!

I may just give the cat scarer a try - although we have our own cat that likes to sit in front of our neighbours!
Not sure if our allotment society would sanction an electric fence, i will mention it though.

Sorry, no ideas regarding moles!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Not sure how far you are allowed to go with disturbing badgers. Despite the cull thats going to happen in some areas, they are still a protected species elsewhere. So it may pay to check exactly what you can and cannot do.

Potty

[Leif]

I just remembered we have badgers, they dig up my neighbour's garden, and leave poop on mine. They don't half move fast. So I'll find out if the scarer works on them.

[polc1410]

If you have people under 35 on the plot they may not like the cat scarer - they may be able to hear it and it will give them a headache in minutes. My parents one used to do my head in... They didn't even think it was working.

Now I assume it still works but I'm passed the point of no return...

How to Keep Badgers Out of a Garden | eHow.co.uk

[Two_Sheds]

You may have to accept that you can't grow sweetcorn up the lotty. It does seem to be the one thing they go for, and isn't really worth putting up electric fences for.

[Feral007]

If they are anything like wombats they are a pita! What I have tried is blocking up their holes (useless even using concrete.)

What may have worked (x fingers here) is putting the compost area outside the house yard. Since then the wombat has been pottering around outside my yard (now in the food forest :/) but not coming into the yard anymore. Might be worth trying to put a afood source outside your allotments and seeng what happens.

[Two_Sheds]

Might be worth trying to put a afood source outside your allotments and seeng what happens.

That's a good idea worth trying, actually. They like peanut butter sandwiches even more than sweetcorn.
If they're eating enough sarnies, they won't go for the corn. You aren't attracting or encouraging them, because they're coming anyway, AND they're breaking the fences. It's worth a try

[Feral007]

It is worth a try. Our compost is now outside the house area. And solely for the wombat/s, magpie's and crows. We have a covered, fast compost that he doesn't even look at. And I havent (touch wood) had to rebuild the ground under the fence/gate in months! Wish I'd done it sooner.

[jackfidget]

Thanks for all the advice people, nice to hear you have similar problems in Oz!

I have already decided not to bother with the sweetcorn this year, but he took a liking to most peoples carrots last year too. I like the peanut butter sandwich idea to keep him out, but cant help feeling i would need an awful lot to keep him away all summer! And i dont know if its just one or many...

Dont worry, i know they are protected and id never hurt them as i quite like them, I just want to persuade him elsewhere! The other side of the fence is a bit of woodland and then common ground, much more his thing...

[pipscariad]

Just wondering whether you managed to solve this problem Jackfidget? My beautiful strawberry bed was laid waste by badgers last night, I am so sad, the plants were doing so well this year. They have also rooted up my allium bulbs and dug up my son's newly buried pet gecko!! All this is in my front garden.

May try the electric fence idea. Much as I love badgers I don't want to sacrifice my strawberries every year.