[Growster...]

The local crew have devastated the sweet corn on nearly all of our patches down at the plots.

We'd noticed that some had been flattened and eaten, so we netted ours with some of that thick fencing wire with 6" squares, but the blighters just stood up on the fence, and graunched about ten cobs from the twenty-two we had growing happily.

So we've re-doubled the netting and made it extra-difficult for the beasts...

"I'm Adam, and I have a farm in the Cotswolds, and I dammn well hate bloodgy badgers at the moment..."!

[sunshineband]

It is voles on our site that are devastating the corn ears. They bite through the stems and then munch away at the ears, usually just before they are quite ripe.

You would never believe such tiny beasts could cause such havoc

I feel for you Growster

[Mrs Bee]

How frustrating for you Growster. All that work beggared!

[Beetroot Queen]

I read this earlier and felt smug that the b&';(/£s hadnt touched ours. Apologies karma has struck as hubby has just texted to say hes picking corn as badgers have had a feast today. 

I hate badgers sorry but who said they could share MY corn  not only did i lose some of my plot to the badger now he wants my corn

[Baldy]

Ouch!
 

Try moving across a dual carridgeway if you've got one after you. Seems to sort 'em out.

Cheers,
Balders

[Kate and her Ducks]

Lost every single cob of mine to them. Just don't see the point in bothering again. Will stick to less desirable crops!

[Growster...]

Many thanks for all your sympathies, Folks, I'm only sorry to see that it's a problem in so many other places as well!

I don't think it is an attack of voles, KC, as the cobs which were closest to the wire were the goners!

Next year, they'll be behind a version of Stalag Luft 3...

And I'll change my name to Ferret...

[allotmentor]

All mine were smashed down and eaten at the end of last week - at least they had the courtesy not to leave a little 'present' like they did last year. The only thing which works on our allotments - they have been seen climbing our 8' high allotment fence! - is electric fencing...but at £100ish it's going to take a lot of years of big harvests to break even...

[angelavdavis]

The badgers in our area must be really well fed Grows, my crop of 48 plants was also decimated by the blighters - not a single decent cob left! 

[Sparkyrog]

I cannot comment on this thread as it would upset some who don't live in the real world 

[Anteater]

We've tried in vein to keep badgers away, but their not as bad as the wild boar who stand on their back legs and eat the plums off our trees at night. You have to see it to believe it.  If the area isn't too big would some sort of portable battery powered electric fence work?

[Growster...]

We tried reinforcing the netting, but they got back in and took nearly all the cobs on Monday night!

We rescued some of the smaller ones, which were just forming, and in answer to Mumofstig's comment about the corn being the stir-fry variety, and bred for that purpose, yup, you're totally right! I've frozen the last 12 small ones which are very immature, but look OK. The corn on the two we did get was very small and tight, but actually tasted pretty damn good!

I'm surprised that they can climb a fence that high though, Allotmentor! What is odd though, is that Mrs G just chucked the half-eaten ones into the compost heap, which is open one side, and they're still there! I actually wanted the blasted things to get in there, as it needs a damn good trample...

[allotmentor]

@Anteater - that's exactly the sort of fence that has been successful - have a look at this: http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/file/79051

@Growster - Poor you, but I guess it's inevitable once they had got a taste for it! Not as surprised as we were - we've had some plates attached near the top now which should give them nothing to get a grip on. But they're still getting in somewhere - one side of our association is bounded by a stream with no fence...perhaps they're swimming?

[Growster...]

Interesting doc that, Allotmentor!

I think next year, we'll just grow them at home, as we have thick fencing and hedging along one rear garden boundary, and a 13" brick wall along the other two! I have spotted one round at the front once in a while, but there's a steel garden gate to stop them getting round now, and anyway, the dog would see them off at the drop of a hat...

[Ema]

Rats ate most of mine, I only ate 2 cobs

I was going to bother growig more next year then I saw some seeds in wyvale for 50p....

I have noticed the pros on our site have put wire mesh bird cages around their sweet corn