[1jim]

Hi
I am due to start working on my plot at the weekend, currently its just a field, apparently there is a badger run through the field. Can anyone give me some tips on badger proofingt the plot. The current plan was to make mostly raised beds (6inch height). Is there anything I can do to protect crops? thanks
Jim

[Trillium]

Since badgers are burrowers, you'll need to do a slit trench right beside your raised beds and drop in strips of weldmesh that go down at least 12" all around the whole bed. You'll also need to cage in the crop with weldmesh against very strong claws and be sure they can't easily be knocked off.

Or, for the top part you can run electric fencing around the beds but be sure to have the weldmesh trench pieces in.

Badgers really love carrots and almost ripe corn, and they're quite fond of parsnips and peas so drastic action will be needed if you hope to claim any harvest.

[calculad]

We have badgers roaming all over our plots.  We caught them on cameras.
The only damage so far we have had is a few holes in the grass.

[ThatsNice]

We have badgers allegedly. Quite a few it's are fenced off and one chap runs wires across the corners with wind chimes hanging, so any movement on the fence shakes the chimes. He reckoned badgers startle and run at any noise. He also told me to grow a row of onions and / or garlic around the edge of the plot. Says the strong smell stops them being able to get the scent of carrots etc which they love (he said that too!), so they keep going past your plot instead of having your carrots.

[fatcat1955]

Be very careful. Badger's are protected and it is illegal to wilfully damage any part of a badger's set, tunnel or run. If you put a barrier (weld mesh ) across one of their tunnel's you could be prosecuted.

[blackberryjam]

Be very careful. Badger's are protected and it is illegal to wilfully damage any part of a badger's set, tunnel or run. If you put a barrier (weld mesh ) across one of their tunnel's you could be prosecuted.

I have a badger set near my allotment, so I have been Doing some research, it is said that they like carrots potatoes and sweetcorn.  But they also like snails and slugs which are part of there main diet along with small rodents and grubs. As. Stated above badger's are protected by the badger act 1992.if you need to protect your plot it would be better and cheaper to put up an electric fence. The other option would be to put up a chain link  fence  four foot high and buried two foot deep as they are powerful diggers.

[gremlin]

The other option would be to put up a chain link  fence  four foot high and buried two foot deep as they are powerful diggers.

No direct experience of this, but I believe chain link isn't strong enough to keep a badger out. They can bite through the wire, then it unravels.  It has to be welded mesh. Industrial strength mesh - not DIY strength.  Buried two foot deep sounds about right.  

Decided to risk loosing a few crops rather than spend a fortune and time building a fortress.

[blackberryjam]

Gremlin your right. I would also rather them eat a few veg and eat the troublesome snails and slugs. Then spend a lot of money keeping them off my plot. I've been talking to other plot owners today and they said they have seen them, but they don't cause any problems.