Badger cull.

[Hivemaker.]

Some good news, the badger cull is reducing the incidence of bovine TB.

The latest figures show 756 animals were killed in Dorset, 432 in Gloucestershire and 279 in Somerset as part of efforts to eradicate bovine TB.

The government said more than half of England was expected to be free of the disease by 2019.

The chief vet is clear: this is delivering disease control benefits and it'll help us eradicate this terrible disease."

Ms Truss also said she was considering extending the badger cull programme.

"I'm pleased to say more than half of the country is on track to be officially free of the disease by the end of this parliament thanks to the strategy we put in place.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35121632

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

good newes for the bumble bees as well then.
Unfortunately the chief vet for Wales is a rather autocratic, dogmatic bunny hugging clueless bint whi ignores any hard facts that don't agree with her thinking (one of the reasons SWMBO switched departments) so we are still struggling with the mess she's left us.

 

[pargyle]

I don't know about badgers but I'm plagued with rats at present ..Shot two of them in broad daylight today in the garden and I know there is at least a third as it got away before I could reload. Called into Mole Valley to pick up some more traps and they had sold out of all but the cheapo wooden ones which I have never found effective - according to the girl on the till they have sold over 30 in the last couple of days. Apparently the mild winter is not helping ... it's a bit weird that they are out in the middle of the day though ... sorry a bit off topic but I thought I would share that with you.

 

[user 6228]

sceptical about both sides in this...

Never mind the science, feel the emotion and listen to the politicking.

 

[Hivemaker.]

good newes for the bumble bees as well then.

...plus the wasps and hives of honey bees as well in some places.

 

[hallshoney]

I wonder if the hedgehog population will go up the cull zones

 

[Hivemaker.]

I wonder if the hedgehog population will go up the cull zones

Seen more than I normally do this year, so yes, they could well be on the increase.

 

[Itchy]

Our farm has a plague of the stipey buggers, and we have cattle....
They tried ripping into a poly hive, but so far no other damage

 

[charlievictorbravo]

The BBC report only said that the government had hits its culling targets. There were no numbers or other evidence that this had affected the number of cases of bovine TB.

The only justification for the cull, apart from saving bumble bees, was to reduce bovine TB so where's the evidence?. I'm with Derekm on this - it could all be smoke and mirrors to keep the farming lobby on side.

CVB

 

[Hivemaker.]

The only justification for the cull, apart from saving bumble bees
CVB

And Hedgehogs.

Hedgehog numbers increase in badger cull areas

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/27144109

 

[For want of a better word]

Badgers have moved into one of my out Apiaries, and dug such great big holes that I am going to have to relocate the dark little girls next season.
Only had one attack on one colony that was not securely strapped to the hive stand bench.

And some here complain about moles!

My suspicion is that songbirds spread as much Bovine TB as Badgers... and that the Government are literally barking up the wrong tree by pointless and badly managed Badger culls.
Perhaps a good proportion of the Nations wealth that is being wasted on overseas aid/wars/ etc... should be invested on solving problems at home?

Mytten da

 

[madasafish]

I read the quote from the Badger trust in the above BBC article:

"Although badgers will eat hedgehogs if desperate they are not hunters. Their main food is also the earthworm and underground grubs."

We have a VERY large colony of badgers in the graveyard about 250meters away across the fields. We have only once seen hedgehogs in our garden although there are ideal conditions for them. A mother and two young appeared one day under our beech hedge. Two days later they were torn to bits - I assume by badgers..(no access to dogs in our garden).

As badger numbers have grown over the decades, we have seen wasp and ground bumble bee nests destroyed and eradicated by them in our garden.

 

[For want of a better word]

I have been told that badgers can climb trees and totally eradicated wild bee colonies over much of England in the hunt for their favorite sweet food... honey...
Or was that black bears?

Yeghes da

 

[Swarm]

It's way too soon to be reporting increase in numbers of threatened species or any other so called success attributed to this cull. Total BS, just more tory propaganda.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

It's way too soon to be reporting increase in numbers of threatened species or any other so called success attributed to this cull. Total BS, just more tory propaganda.

We can do without the political slant thanks

 

[Swarm]

It's no 'slant', the ones I've heard crowing about the success have been tory ministers, so tough.

 

[For want of a better word]

It's no 'slant', the ones I've heard crowing about the success have been tory ministers, so tough.

Mostly because they are the large landowners!


Nos da

 

[madasafish]

Mostly because they are the large landowners!


Nos da

Th largest owner of arable land in the UK used to be the Co-op..

 

[Millet]

And Hedgehogs.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/27144109

I can see all the game keepers in the area being over the moon with that..

 

[Hivemaker.]

I can see all the game keepers in the area being over the moon with that..

Most of them are too pi*sed out of their brains to worry about it.