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I have holes in and under my garden fences and whilst I haven't observed it, I believe they've been made by a badger using mine and my neighbours garden as a run. How can I persuade Mr. Badger to take his destructive ways elsewhere? I don't want to do the creature any harm or stay up all night to confront it.

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Buy a bottle of Jeyes Fluid, soak old rags or cloths in it, drape or fix the rags near the entry points you think they're using - they hate the smell, classic gardener's solution to the problem. You will need to refresh the cloths occasionally with the Fluid.

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  • Thanks to everyone who replied. This seems like the most practical solution to implement. I'll give it a try
    – Dave
    Jul 26, 2016 at 12:36
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Badgers are stubborn creatures of habit and stronger than they look. It is unlikely that you have a single badger, the family will forage together following the lead of the boar.

In my experience, if you try to block the regular foraging route with a fence, they'll just go through it or under it. Also, if you did stay up to confront them, they have the patience to wait until you go to bed and will then go on their way.

However, as nocturnal creatures, they like the dark. Set up a motion controlled security light. It doesn't have to be very bright but if it shines on the badgers, they will take a different route.

This won't stop them trying to get to their destination but it may encourage them to go round you.

Don't forget that they are a protected species (in the UK at least) and not often seen. Perhaps the best approach is to learn to enjoy them.

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  • The most interesting idea to block them from entering your garden, in my opinion would be to plant ginger plant at your fence or at the position in your boundary from which they seems to enter.
  • This idea depends upon geographical nature of your land too, because I dont know whether conditions will support ginger plant over there.
  • Any way, when badgers approach your boundary, they could proabably dig hole under fence.
  • Gingers nature could drive away them as they find ginger as they dig up their path.

This is what we do here for badgers. Any way you can not obstruct them completely from entering your boundary because it will be havoc to plant ginger in your garden, but to some extent you can.

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Substitute steel spikes or lengths of "rebar" concrete reinforcement bars for the missing fence pieces. Drive them into the ground a few inches apart leaving part of each bar a bit higher above the ground as the hole in your fence to block the entrance. Paint them to match your existing fence. Be vigilant and block any entrance you see as soon as you see it made. Eventually, the critters will find another route bypassing your estate.

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These tough and fearless critters do not understand subtlety. Theirs is a matter of survival as opposed to yours which is a matter of aesthetics.

Solution (not a hack): Your choices are share;—accept coexistence with its inconvenience and unkempt appearance—or, to call an exterminator who will set traps and relocate the offender and family. (I wonder if they really relocate or if it is a euphemism for killing them.)

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