Topic: badgers

[laurieuk]

   I grew the best lot of sweetcorn I have had in my 60 years gardening, we had a wonderful feed, they were so sweet my wife thought she had added sugar by mistake, then I went to get some more  We had had a visit by a badger although I had fenced with wire netting about 1 m high he went over the top. There was not a single piece of corn left.


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[planetearth]

Badgers will not climb a fence.  There is either a hole in your fence, they have dug under it, it's not secured at the ends or something else has taken your corn, most likely a fox (or fox family).  Badgers do not leave the ground!  Last thought if the mesh is the stuff used to pen sheep ie about 4 inches, a young badger will get through the mesh.

[Melbourne12]

It looks as though badgers CAN climb, according to the Badger Trust:

It is possible to construct a fence that will deter badger entry.  Badgers are strong and persistent animals that can easily break through or dig under a weak or poorly constructed fence. They can climb well, and will squeeze through quite small gaps.

A strong wooden fence with heavy wire mesh attached and extended below ground, or a heavy wire mesh fence with the bottom extended below ground is recommended. Chicken wire is inadequate. The extension below ground will need to extend at least 600mm depending on the soil structure and have a horizontal return away from the garden of at least 300mm. The fence will need to be at least 1200mm high, and with wire mesh fencing an overhang of at least 300mm is recommended directed away from the garden.

An alternative barrier is a stone, brick or block wall with a suitable foundation dependant on soil structure. Such a wall should be at least 1200mm high with a smooth surface finish to deter climbing.

Electric fencing, energised either by battery or transformed mains electric supply, can be an effective deterrent. It can also be installed either temporarily or permanently, and can be used to protect the whole or a specific part of a garden.

[laurieuk]

Sorry to disagree but badgers certainly can climb a chap from a local badger group some years ago showed slides of a badger climbing up to get smarties that were put in the bark of a tree.   If you look closely at the picture you will see the mess of the wire netting is small and there were definitely no other access other than going over the top. I was warned about the badgers loving sweet corn but I got away with it last year. I see that you can buy special electric fencing for badgers and if I used that I could be the only person on our allotments able to grow carrots. I almost forgot to say that the badger that ate my corn also left his or hers calling card.

Badgers will not climb a fence.  There is either a hole in your fence, they have dug under it, it's not secured at the ends or something else has taken your corn, most likely a fox (or fox family).  Badgers do not leave the ground!  Last thought if the mesh is the stuff used to pen sheep ie about 4 inches, a young badger will get through the mesh.

[macmac]

We gave up growing sweetcorn on the lottie a few years ago as the badger just helped himself,we grow it in the veg plot at home.Last year a lottie neighbour had his peas trampled and taken,we weren't sure if it was human or badger but this year he's had four rows of peas.It was annoying as the peas were one of the few crops that were doing well this year.