Badgers

[lady-janine]

is there anyting humane that can be done to stop badgers from digging largish holes in our shrub bed and shi**ing in them. several bushes have had their roots disturbed and also a couple of small trees. don't want to harm them in any way just send them elsewhere. thanks for suggestions.

[Purple_Popple]

Human urine (seriously) sprinkled liberally round where they getting in.
Other than that, Jeyes Fluid sprayed around a fence - the smell is enough to deter them.

[wildwood]

Do you have a fence around your property, or is it too big. If you have, you can sometimes pick up cheap second hand roofing iron that can be cut at 2ft lengths and dug in under the fence.

[lady-janine]

thanks for the suggestions but not really practicable as boundary is some cornish hedge,some sheep netting and some just open as entrance for tractors, etc. just want to keep them of the more cultivated bit of garden. no problems with them in the copses, gorse or quarry. have aprayed jeyes in and around their holes but they just seem to go a little way away and start again.

[wildwood]

I can only think of one solution provided the vege plot is not too big and there is a handyman in the frame.

Reinforcing frame that they use for concrete paths/drives. cut into 8ft x 3ft pieces and attach chicken/bird netting. The difficult bit is then bending each piece in 2ft increment along the 8ft length so there are 3 bends in it. This can be plonked on the earth around your patch and should stand up by itself. do as many piece as needed to surround the vege garden. The pieces can easily be joined together with a small dog-lead type clip on top for extra stability. To work in the garden simply move the fence bits aside and replace when finished.

The best is ofcourse a permanent fence dug in deeply with gate(s) for access but that is going to be a major job.

Judging by the smell of a badger's set, any type of aromatic deterrent is not going to put them off.