I'm very fond of Badgers. They are lovely harmless creatures. All they want is to forage for food, and walk around like anyone else. It is a shame to view them as a 'nuisance'.
But I think it is their strength and determined digging, and the fact that it can be very hard to dissuade them when they have their mind set on digging up your garden every night -that makes the nuisance factor.
When my husband and I first moved into this house, we put a large prop in the centre of the wood-shed. That prop was the thickness of a telegraph pole, and was to provide extra support for the tin roof. It was wedged firmly between compacted earth at the bottom, and an oak beam at the top, and fixed firmly at the top. My husband pushed hard at it but it was not moving and seemed very secure. At the bottom we put rocks around it. Every morning we found rocks scattered, pole askew and loose at the bottom!
We didn't know what could be doing that, and concluded it couldn't be any wild creature, as there was nothing big enough to shift that pole!
It was a local farmer who told us it was placed on an old badger track. We eventually shored up the other side of the wood-shed so they couldn't come through.
The amusing thing about it is that the badger was so intent on sticking to its pathway that it wasn't willing to even go round an obstacle, and had to actually go through it! LOL
Yes platy, those holes in the paddock could be dangerous for the horses. I wonder if a cat might be the solution? If rabbits see a cat around they might go away...
That's if the horses wouldn't be scared of a cat suddenly appearing.
Another thing which might help but is really hard work, is to sink chicken wire into a trench all around the horses' area, about 1ft or more deep? Then fill in all the holes.
That would also solve my badger situation but is such hard work to do.
But I think it is their strength and determined digging, and the fact that it can be very hard to dissuade them when they have their mind set on digging up your garden every night -that makes the nuisance factor.
When my husband and I first moved into this house, we put a large prop in the centre of the wood-shed. That prop was the thickness of a telegraph pole, and was to provide extra support for the tin roof. It was wedged firmly between compacted earth at the bottom, and an oak beam at the top, and fixed firmly at the top. My husband pushed hard at it but it was not moving and seemed very secure. At the bottom we put rocks around it. Every morning we found rocks scattered, pole askew and loose at the bottom!
We didn't know what could be doing that, and concluded it couldn't be any wild creature, as there was nothing big enough to shift that pole!
It was a local farmer who told us it was placed on an old badger track. We eventually shored up the other side of the wood-shed so they couldn't come through.
The amusing thing about it is that the badger was so intent on sticking to its pathway that it wasn't willing to even go round an obstacle, and had to actually go through it! LOL
Yes platy, those holes in the paddock could be dangerous for the horses. I wonder if a cat might be the solution? If rabbits see a cat around they might go away...
That's if the horses wouldn't be scared of a cat suddenly appearing.
Another thing which might help but is really hard work, is to sink chicken wire into a trench all around the horses' area, about 1ft or more deep? Then fill in all the holes.
That would also solve my badger situation but is such hard work to do.
