Badgers

[steve1958]

Can anyone advise me regarding Badgers!

Do they intefere with hives?

and if so What precautions would you take to protect your Hive.

(No guns, electric fences, or poisons please)

 

[Hivemaker.]

Had problems with them once,ripping mouse guards off in winter and clawing the fronts of the hives.

 

[darrenperrett]

Hi Steve.

I had badgers damaging my hives earlier in the year :

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3509

I put an electric fence around them temporarily as suggested by hivemaker.
It was during that really cold spell and i suppose they were getting desperate as i`ve seen no more damage since the ground thawed out.

Darren.

 

[steve1958]

Thanks for that, and the link

 

[Midland Beek]

Badgers sometimes might use a hive as a scratching post on which to sharpen and clean their claws. This is sometimes mistaken for them attempting to break into a hive.

But don't leave them any tit bits.

 

[ian]

Hi

Never had any problems with the main hives, but I have had mini nuc's targeted. They probably resemble a bumbles/wasp nest.


Regards Ian

 

[garethbryson]

Go and buy yourself a good 1million candle light torch and a good .243 centre fire rifle. AND you will have no more bother with the badgers!!!

I am only joking of course (its a against the law)

 

[keithgrimes]

If Defra have their way they're gonna get culled for you

 

[Brosville]

While they allow GMOs at the same time, in the hope that environmentalists will be too busy trying to save badgers to care.............
Should anyone have missed it, Caroline "GM Lobbyist for 15 years" Spelman is now in charge - the deals were agreed before the election for both........

 

[ammriver]

Badgers do interfere with hives given half a chance. A neighbour lost contents of three National hives this way. I have a badger sett on my farm (probably the ones that did for the neighbours hives) and at certain times of year they become a real pest (for breeding ground nesting birds in the Spring and our hens in the Winter). I have witnessed them dig out wasp nests a couple of feet into a sandstone cliff. After seeing what they did to the Nationals, I decided to use a Dartington hive which is heavy and stable enough that it will not be knocked over, and high enough that it is not easily got at. I would think about getting your hives off the ground, fencing, or otherwise just making sure that they are as secure as possible. I feel that as long as the hive cannot be knocked over to reveal the contents, then any attempts at scratching, chewing are unlikely to be successful. My bees have not had any problems with the badgers, the hens have not been so lucky.

 

[Brosville]

I've had no problems whatsoever with hives or hens from our local healthy and large badger population - the hives are firmly attached to the ground to save them blowing over in a gale, and normal anti-fox precautions taken for the chooks (electric fence and secure housing) - they are sited to the side of known "badger trails" across our land (we've also had a badger height greasemark along the rendering on one wall of the house where they blunder along at night - you can hear them with the window open!)
Reckon it won't be long before poor old brock gets blamed for the banking and football disasters to go with the other things that certain members of the community care to attribute to the hapless creatures!

 

[Busy Bee]

Had problems with them once,ripping mouse guards off in winter and clawing the fronts of the hives.

Do they not do this anymore?

Busy Bee

 

[Busy Bee]

How can you have a healthy badger population the only healthy badger is a DEAD ONE!

How long is going to take for people to realise that this creatures are dirty, stinking flea infested , TB carrying pests and should be eradicated. Does someone have to die of TB from a badger before something is done?

Busy Bee

 

[Hivemaker.]

Do they not do this anymore?

Busy Bee

Well i stopped the badger problem on this site,then had a thieving two legged bastard problem,stole five hives,would of cured that problem to if i could of caught them,but moved the rest of the hive's instead,so that was the end of all the problems with that particular site.

 

[Brosville]

If we apply your criteria, the most dangerous creature that needs culling is actually mankind - but we're well on the way to achieving that ourselves..........
I've lived in close proximity to badgers for a great many years, and find them an utter delight - but dislike the ghastly antibiotic-riddled bovine pests that are spreading TB to our wildlife due to widespread appalling husbandry and reliance on "chemicals"

 

[Busy Bee]

Well i stopped the badger problem on this site,then had a thieving two legged bastard problem,stole five hives,would of cured that problem to if i could of caught them,but moved the rest of the hive's instead,so that was the end of all the problems with that particular site.

I cured a problem like this with some copper wire and a bull fencer of the mains. The two legged badger never tried my locks again.

Busy Bee

 

[Busy Bee]

If we apply your criteria, the most dangerous creature that needs culling is actually mankind - but we're well on the way to achieving that ourselves..........
I've lived in close proximity to badgers for a great many years, and find them an utter delight - but dislike the ghastly antibiotic-riddled bovine pests that are spreading TB to our wildlife due to widespread appalling husbandry and reliance on "chemicals"

There is places for people who say things like what you have just written. INSTITUTIONS! (white coat department).


Busy Bee

By the way you must starving

 

[Brosville]

have you ever tried reading what someone actually wrote?

 

[Busy Bee]

have you ever tried reading what someone actually wrote?

Ooo dear, your eye sight is starting to leave because your not eating!

Busy Bee

 

[Brosville]

straight over his head at 20,000 feet, and climbing - why do I bother?
Nightie night!