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Introduction

I know of many farmers who like badgers, and who are very protective of the badger setts they have on their land. On the other hand, there are also many farmers who see badgers as pests. The latter view is understandable to some extent, as badgers certainly can cause problems for farmers, and horticulturalists too. Although on occasion the damage caused by badgers can be quite severe, it is usually small-scale, localised, and occurs only at certain times of the year. These problems can in nearly all cases be resolved without the badgers being harmed.

On this page I have provided a brief analysis of the problems badgers sometimes cause for farmers and horticulturalists. I have also given brief details of the possible solutions, along with links to other pages in this section where further information about these possible solutions is given.

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Rolling in cereal fields

The problem: Badgers are known to roll on and flatten areas of cereals on occasion. I have seen the results of this myself where there was a sett located in a small copse immediately adjacent to a cereal field. Possibly the damage was caused by the cubs playing.

Possible solutions: The actual area flattened by badgers in this way is usually very small, and the the cost of the time and effort put into to tackling the problem will in most cases exceed the cost of the tiny proportion of the crop that is lost. However, electric fencing along the side of the field where the damage occurs could be tried. [More info.]

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Eating fruits, cereals, sweetcorn etc.

The problem: Badgers are omnivores and take a wide variety of plant foods in addition to worms and other small creatures. They can be quick to take advantage of new food sources, as a number of growers of sweetcorn, grapes and strawberries have noticed. Other fruits may be taken by badgers living close to fruit farms, and cereals are also eaten in late summer.

Possible solution: As with damage to cereal crops by rolling, the actual extent of the losses caused by badgers taking fruits etc should be assessed before any action is taken - it is probably less than it appears. The erection of electric fences around those crops that are susceptible to damage, at the times when the damage occurs, is usually effective. This is not feasible in the case of whole cereal fields though. However, if the badgers are entering a field from one side (probably the side nearest to the sett), then it may be possible to exclude them with an electric fence along just that side of the field. [More info.]

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Predation on livestock

The problem: Very rarely, badgers have been known to take chickens, and even more rarely, lambs. Such predation is usually the work of an individual "rogue" badger, perhaps an older animal which cannot feed normally due to the fact that its teeth have worn down.

Possible solutions: If you experience problems with predation on livestock, you need first of all to be absolutely certain of the identity of the predator responsible. If there are badgers in the vicinity, it should not automatically be assumed that they are to blame. Foxes are one possibility, and in the case of sheep, stray or free running dogs can often cause considerable damage.

Prevention is better than cure, and in the case of poultry, prevention comes in the form of keeping the birds securely. If predation is a problem, an electric fence around the poultry unit should be tried. [More info.]

If badgers are definitely the culprit, if the problem is ongoing rather than a one-off incident, and if there is no other way of protecting your livestock, then it may be necessary to obtain a licence from DEFRA so that the individual badger causing the damage can be destroyed.

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Setts causing injury to livestock

The problem: There are reports of sheep, horses and cattle having broken their legs by stumbling in the entrance holes of badger setts. Another problem is when the roof of a badger's underground chamber collapses under the weight of an animal standing above it; I have seen one cow killed in this way, and heard of at least one other such case locally.

Possible solutions: Where setts lie wholly or partly in fields where livestock are grazed, the sett area should be fenced off to prevent the livestock from walking over it. If the sett is in a hedgerow with tunnels extending out into a field, it may be possible to obtain a licence to excavate and backfill the problem tunnels. [More info.] In either case, it may be desirable to prevent ongoing problems by digging trenches and burying wire mesh to prevent further expansion of the sett. [More info.]

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Setts undermining fields and farm tracks

The problem: Badger tunnels are not just a problem when they extend under fields used for grazing. They can also be a problem if they extend beneath arable fields, or or under farm tracks, as they may collapse under the weight of tractors or other heavy farm machinery.

Possible solutions: It may be necessary to to excavate and backfill tunnels that extend from a hedgerow sett out into an arable field. A licence is required for this. [More info.] In the case of a sett under a farm track, if there is a risk of collapse it may then be necessary to exclude the badgers from the sett and then destroy the sett by excavating the tunnels and backfilling them. This too requires a licence. The damage to the track can then be repaired, and steps can be taken to discourage the badgers from digging there again. [More info.]

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References

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Picture credits

The Eurasian badger photo used at the head of this Article is © Steve Jackson. Credits for the photos used in the right-hand margin of this page for site navigation can be found on the Credits page.

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