Bothered by Badgers
HELENA JONES considers whether badgers in urban gardens are prized guests or pesky intruders
When a young woman – we’ll call her Sarah – bought her first home, a charming 1930s semi in St Leonards, she was captivated by the potential of the overgrown garden out back. It was derelict, yes, but it was also expansive: full of promise for herself and her eight-year-old son. A place for play, for peace, for planting. A little slice of Eden in the suburbs.
What delighted her even more were the whispers from neighbours: foxes, they said, were regular visitors. And badgers too. Real ones. Being passionate about wildlife, Sarah and her son were thrilled by the idea of sharing their new space with these iconic animals – especially the elusive badger, a creature few are lucky enough to glimpse in the wild.
In British culture, badgers are more than just nocturnal diggers. They’re symbols of strength and persistence. In literature, most memorably in Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows, Badger is the wise, reclusive figure in the Wild Wood, a pillar of wisdom and authority, rough on the outside, but kind at heart. It’s no wonder many see them as guardians of nature, or even good luck. But not everyone sees them that way.
Across the UK, badgers sit at the centre of a long-standing debate. While they are protected under the Badgers Act of 1992, their suspected role in spreading bovine tuberculosis to cattle has led to licensed culls in large parts of the country. In other regions, including Hastings and St Leonards, badgers remain fully protected. The law makes it a criminal offence to:
- Kill, injure, or take a badger
- Damage, destroy, or block access to a badger sett (burrow)
- Disturb a badger in its sett
- Possess a live badger or its body parts
- The penalties are serious: up to six months in prison and unlimited fines.
Come spring, Sarah and her son rolled up their sleeves. They cleared rubble, pulled weeds, laid fresh turf, and turned the neglected space into a lush green sanctuary. They imagined a garden filled with laughter, play and quiet evenings among the flowers – shared, of course, with their wild neighbours. But Eden didn’t last.
Just days after the garden’s transformation, Sarah awoke to find strips of turf peeled up like old wallpaper. Undeterred, she re-laid the grass, gently stamped it down, and smiled at the thought of the badgers’ cheeky nighttime antics.
The next morning: more damage. Then more. And more.
Within a week, the garden had become what Sarah described as a “freshly ploughed field”. Two-thirds of the lawn was upturned: anything but paradise.
Sarah doesn’t regret sharing her garden with wildlife. “I love animals,” she says. “But I also love my garden. I just wish there was more help for people who want to coexist peacefully.”
She adds: “I spent a lot of money and time on my garden and now they are ruining it. I don’t know how to block them out. I’ve tried chilli flakes, sound frequency, and blocking the holes. I would never hurt them, and I’ve never seen them, although I have seen foxes.”
So I turned to some expert advice in the shape of our local charity, Wild Life Matters:
“Badgers in your garden are such a privilege, these beautiful mystic creatures have been around for 250,000 years – but then their habitat had no limit.” Scant compensation when your lawn suddenly looks like a boar has been truffling on it! What are they looking for?
“Up to 80% of a badger’s diet is earthworms and grubs (larvae). Worms live in your flower beds and lawn, and they are normally sucked up. Grubs are usually below your lawn and they are dug up. In the extended dry/drought conditions the ground is hard. The worms are lower. This key food source is hard to get, even with digging. The grubs are in the same place under the grass. If you water your lawn, it’s even better. Nice juicy worms and easy to get to the grubs.”
It appears there is no simple solution. You can treat the lawn with products that kill off the grubs. This might help. Some suggest a low electric fence. This is strongly opposed for the sake of other wildlife. Some suggest digging in netting and up the bottom of your fence. Yes, it mostly works, but you need to dig it in half a metre down. The problem is you then need to lay it 30cm outwards – good luck with the neighbours.
Our expert says: “Some suggest planting things like mint and garlic along the border of your fence. I’m doubtful. Some suggest scattering chilli by their point of access. This may help. Male urine at their point of access can work,as found in the badger cull fight.The badgers think it’s a territory warning. Sensor activated floodlights can work; you can set them just on the point of entry and it often deters, with the caveat that badgers live by scent with poor eyesight.”
In summary, these visitors, may not return after winter when normal food availability is restored. The best solution is really strong fencing plus wire. Rarely practical.
A last point: in theory, wild animals shouldn’t be fed. In practice, particularly for urban wildlife, it can be a life saver, but on balance, giving them an alternative in your garden could change their target food like using a handful of peanuts or a couple of raw eggs. A few problems with this: they will always come back, your neighbours may not be pleased, and if you go on holiday, they will dig your lawn up unless someone else does it! So, this year is not typical:they may cease digging soon and never come back. Hope springs eternal… You can try the above. But in the meantime, enjoy the privilege of being badgered.
Badger Genocide?
- More than half of all English badgers are believed to have been ‘culled’ in the past 12 years.
- That’s nearly a quarter of a million badgers killed since 2013.
- 70% – 173,000 – were shot despite a government panel determining this was inhumane due to the length of time badgers took to die.
- Fewer than 5% of badgers tested after death were found to be carrying bovine TB.
- DEFRA’s data show there is no evidence that badger culling has had any impact on reducing bTB in cattle.
- The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 makes it illegal to kill or injure a badger without a license but allows Natural England to grant such licenses.
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