Badgers

[Popparand]

I’ve seen a galvanised wire rabbit trap folded in two by a badger to get at the tasty bit of fresh meat inside. If they know there is food there, they will get into a hive. Think weasel the size of a medium size dog but much more muscular.
They are stubborn creatures and pretty fearless.


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Carniverous rabbits? What next!

 

[Millet]

Carniverous rabbits? What next!

Did you read the full post by Colin..

 

[citrus]

the electric fence works well for the chickens and would suggest it would work well enough to stop the badgers too !

 

[lilybetbee]

They will be back and concrete blocks will not stop them. measures need taking.

Hopefully in wooden hives soon.

 

[Stiffy]

the electric fence works well for the chickens and would suggest it would work well enough to stop the badgers too !

An electric fence will not stop a badger, the fur on a badger is too dense. Electric wire penetrates the fit and delivers the sting needed.
S

 

[citrus]

An electric fence will not stop a badger, the fur on a badger is too dense. Electric wire penetrates the fit and delivers the sting needed.
S

These are the guys I bought mine from ...

agrisellex.co.uk -> and they say

"The electric fence needs to be used between dusk and dawn for at least a few weeks (i.e. until each visiting badger has had a "sting" on the nose). The best guesstimate is that they will remain effective for at least 95% of badgers who have been stung (as exceedingly few like to receive a second sting). This means that after the initial few weeks, you can take the risk that the fence can be left in situ, but left non-electrified during the day and operated at night."

 

[Stiffy]

These are the guys I bought mine from ...

agrisellex.co.uk -> and they say

"The electric fence needs to be used between dusk and dawn for at least a few weeks (i.e. until each visiting badger has had a "sting" on the nose). The best guesstimate is that they will remain effective for at least 95% of badgers who have been stung (as exceedingly few like to receive a second sting). This means that after the initial few weeks, you can take the risk that the fence can be left in situ, but left non-electrified during the day and operated at night."

Try it if you like .The only thing we have found that works is electrified wire
I move badgers under licence as part of housing developments etc.. We have tried to use fencing with badgers and I can tell you they will destroy it in a short time or burrow underneath. Badgers lift the fencing as the bottom 2 rows are 'normally' not electrified to stop the fence grounding.
If you use fencing you should also consider if there are hedgehogs in the area. If hedgehogs come across fencing and get stung, they often curl up into a ball or try to bite their way through, getting a shock pulse every few seconds until it kills them.
S

 

[For want of a better word]

On the eve of starting to set up an out-apiary a thought crosses my mind, do badgers raid beehives?

Yes... lost three to badgers last winter.
Now behind an electric wire fence enclosing a pheasant run.
Other consideration if putting an apiary near the Lynher is that she floods... up side is it possibly drowns the badgers!

 

[Hachi]

Ha ha ha some people really don't understand badgers.

If a badger wants in it will get in. If you have deer on your ground whilst they're not interested per se, they will accidentally knock hives over.

 

[Madge]

Have you seen the strength of a Badgers jaw. i have and a poly hive is no test for them, if they want to be in a poly hive is history..

Yes... lost three to badgers last winter. ...

I know about the strength of badger jaws - but we're talking about British badgers. They're pussycats compared with South African honey badgers.

My experience is that they can't, or haven't yet, managed to get into any of my polystyrene hives. There are badger setts near most of my apiaries - but, as I've said, my stands are weighted down with the hives securely strapped.

I was going to ask whether anybody has any experience of badgers destroying a hive - so, I'm interested to know about Cheers's experience. What kind of hives did you use, and were they secured?

I've attached photos showing what I think are badger jaw-marks on a couple of my polystyrene hives. I have more hives with scratch marks that I haven't yet photographed.

 

[philipm]

Never had any problem with my hives but badgers did rip the back off a nest box to get at the chickens a few years back.There was a badger in our field this afternoon nearly walked into me i suspect it was looking for water.

 

[For want of a better word]

WRC Nationals on OMF strapped to small plastic pallets.

Ripped through straps and pulled floors off.

The Beast of Kit Hill was implicated... but I think that is just a folk tale to stop children going up there in the evenings.... known d***ing site

 

[Madge]

Thank you, Cheers.

Do you mean WBC hives? I don't know WRC ones.

Did the Beast of Kit Hill bite or rip the strap into two, or did he just manage to manoeuvre it off the hives?

 

[Swarm]

WRC = Western red Cedar.

 

[For want of a better word]

Thank you, Cheers.

Do you mean WBC hives? I don't know WRC ones.

Did the Beast of Kit Hill bite or rip the strap into two, or did he just manage to manoeuvre it off the hives?

Swarm has it...
the Beast tore through the strap... Brocks grow very big down this way!!