This great tip for discouraging badgers was sent in by a reader. We’ve not tried all the tips – so if you try a tip, let us know how you got on in the comments box below.
We’re always happy to get comments, tips and even full articles for the site from gardeners: just contact me or pop your tip in on the comments box below.
Many allotment owners and gardeners have had that sinking feeling when they find their sweetcorn has been devoured or garden wrecked by a family of badgers. Yes, they’re one of our most iconic and beautiful wild animals in Britain but they can also be a nuisance.
Even so, badgers are strongly protected in Britain by the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 (as amended for Scotland) which severely limits the actions you can take to stop badgers. There’s a good page explaining this badger law on the RSPCA web site
As well as being as destructive (and as cute) as gaggle of toddlers, badgers are very strong creatures who can easily dig under or smash through most barrier fences we can easily build to keep badgers off our plot.
Legally Stopping Badgers from Damaging Your Plot
This badger stopping tip cannot be construed as cruelty or illegal – although you might find it a little distasteful.
Urine has been a very useful by product for hundreds of years. It was an essential ingredient in dyeing cloth. The finishing of Harris Tweed, tanning leather and one of the most important, the making of Gun Powder. Up until the first world war it was used to whiten shirts and sheets in the laundry process and almost every compost heap had more than its fair share.
However are there still uses for this liquid to day. Yes there are!
If you have a badger problem ask all your men folk (sorry ladies but it has to be the men this time) to sprinkle around your boundary. Male urine carries odours that animals interpret as territorial dominance and willingness to do battle.
Repeat this every 4 weeks and your problem will go away. Badgers will not cross the line ever again.
Do be very careful when and where you dangle your dingle. In public areas it can result in a very embarrassing court appearance! Filling a sprayer and using this to distribute your chemical message to the badger is just as effective and far safer legally.
Thanks to Henry for this tip on discouraging badgers
Thanks Henry, good tip, and cheap too.
I have found that this will also work on cats as well, although my usual mix is a pint of pee to a gallon of water. Mixed at this ratio the smell is not so apparent to humans, but cats with their much better sense of smell get the full effect. This also means that you can use this mixture directly onto the bare soil of your seed beds, deep beds or even on the pathways around your plot/garden as a discouragement. I have been told that urine is sterile when fresh so you won’t be infecting your soil with anything harmful, in fact you will be feeding it with all the nitrates etc. that are so beneficial to the compost heap when it’s used on there.
Will try Brown Vinegar, as it works with Foxes.
Spraying should be repeated after rain to!
Strange that in Protecting the Badger, we ignore the problem it puts on the general public, their homes, and the danger to our children!
Badgers have devastated my sweetcorn twice in the last three years,the year they didn’t was when I draped battery operated xmas lights around the inside of my shed window and switched on a little radio, tuned to radio 4,so it looked and sounded as if someone was in the shed all night.Re-chargeable batteries essential.This as well as the urine thing.
What about mice and rats stripping the kernels off the corn. If we don’t protect each cob, it gets eaten just as it ripens. We use plastic drink bottles, any reasonable size will do. Cut the top and bottom off the bottle and split the side, then slip the bottle over the cob, as it is split it curls round the cob firmly enough to stay on but not so tight as prevent the cob from swelling.
As for badgers we have tried peeing round the edge it seemed to have no effect a metre high fence made from iron rods and scaffolding netting pinned down seems to do the trick. I am sure the badgers could get through it but our badgers are lazy and go else where to feed.
Barratts are building houses on field at back of house,I live on avebury avenue my fence has been destroyed from the badgers.I have contacted them over this issue they say they had to put artificial badger sets at back of my house unfortunately
say there is nothing we can really do as per our planning requirements have fulfilled all obligations,
I’ve tried urine, tried sonic deterrent, tried motion detection security spot lights, tried bleach… and still the buggers sorry badgers keep ripping up my garden. I found one spot where they dug under the fence and stopped that, don’t know how they are getting in now.
Badgers are now eating my broad beans and peas what can I do????