Sheena Patterson of Oxford Garden Design takes a look at a sometimes unwelcome visitor

Since I had the honour of playing Badger in a school adaptation of The Wind in the Willows I admit to having a biased view on the subject.

Badger paying a formal visit to his friends “was a wonderful thing, indeed... he generally had to be caught, if you wanted him badly, as he slipped quietly along a hedgerow of an early morning or a late evening, or else hunted up in his own house in the middle of the Wood, which was a serious undertaking”.

More recently, I’ve changed my opinion considerably, and now view Mr Badger as, at the very least, an unwelcome visitor – a threat to cherished pristine lawns and carefully cultivated vegetables.

In our business, we take pride in the gardens that we design and build so it’s been discouraging, to say the least to find a couple of our recently completed gardens have been literally torn up overnight, lawns have been dug into and plants upturned.

I can find no reference to this nocturnal display of bad manners in The Wind in the Willows. In one Kidlington garden the reason appears to be the bulbs we recently buried. Apparently tulip and daffodil bulbs are a tasty treat that no self-respecting badger can possible ignore, effectively making our newly planted garden a Michelin star restaurant.

It is the process of actually getting to the bulbs that necessitate the digging... at considerable cost.

The owners realised that there was a badger sett in the adjacent field but none of us had a clue about the disastrous damage they could wreak in search of their favourite menu item.

So now the garden is surrounded with strong, thick mesh. Not the prettiest solution but it seems to have done the trick.

If you find that you have a badger problem in your garden this autumn it’s difficult, but not impossible, to deter them.

There are a plethora of ultrasonic deterrent devices available on internet websites, promising remarkable results.

I did a bit of online research and have to report that reviews were mixed, if not downright unfavourable. No five star glowing reports of a wonder product guaranteed to stop Tommy Brock plus wife, kids and mother-in-law from feasting on the worms in your lawns I’m afraid.

The best solution is to use strong badger-proof mesh trenched to a depth of around one metre to prevent them from digging under fences.

If you suspect you have a badger sett actually in your garden, you should seek expert advice. Badgers will not cause you any harm or pass on diseases. If you think it is a problem do not try to interfere with them, not only will you be breaking the law but you may also make the problem worse.

There is a badger group in Oxfordshire which will give you assistance and advice.

If you don’t want to turn your garden into a high security badger-free zone, it’s quite possible to live happily alongside them. They are not a danger to pets, would rather avoid confrontation with cats and dogs, and will keep their distance.

In spite of the recent damage I’ve witnessed, it’s my belief that badgers in gardens can be a delight and that gardens with no wildlife would be desolate places.

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