Badger

[gardenwatcher]

We had a badger latrine in the garden 2 years ago, and a path it had worn right through the garden. Also it had dug up the grass in lots of places.
I have never seen the badger, but my neighbour has, she feeds it aparently on her patio.
I still have the worn pathway which goes right through the garden, and occasionally the garden is dug up, in "lines" sometimes.
Whats the best time to see the badger, and is it true they are nearly blind.

[Littlesparrow]

The best time to watch badgers is usually dusk or dawn, I have seen them during the day time but this is more unusual and I don't know who got the biggest shock when i nearly walked into one.

Does your neighbor have any pattern to the times she feeds the badger?

[gardenwatcher]

Originally Posted by Littlesparrow

The best time to watch badgers is usually dusk or dawn, I have seen them during the day time but this is more unusual and I don't know who got the biggest shock when i nearly walked into one.

Does your neighbor have any pattern to the times she feeds the badger?

I think evening

[healfdan]

Hello
It would seem from your desription that Badgers already know their way around your garden. If you are not too concerned by the damage they can cause to your lawn I would suggest putting out food to tempt them. Try oats kneaded into a ball using honey or golden syrup as they find this mixture difficult to resist. Best viewed about an hour after dusk, although with the onset of colder weather their visits will be less frequent. They do not rely on their eyesight but detect shapes and movement. The main thing is to remain still and downwind as their hearing and sense of smell is very sensitive.

[JeffH]

Our nightly visiting Badgers are currently coming into the garden at between 7.10 and 7.30pm when they tend to arrive in groups of 3 -5. But we usually have at least 3 further visits by individual Badgers before midnight and several more during the night

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers, Barn Owls and Avocets)

[Dogghound]

Early moning during the summer (August/September) would be the peak time, but if you wait up during the night you would stand a good chance of seeing them most of the year. Although winter activity is reduced especially in very cold weather, when they may not leave the set for weeks. They are not blind and can see although sight is not as important to a badger as it is to us. Their principle sense is smell.

[PMG]

Would the neighbour not phone you when the badgers arrive and you can sneak round thro their front door aan watch with them at their patio doors?

Other than that lay a trail of peanuts from their regular path in your garden to wherever you want to watch them from - also healfdans suggestion of oatmeal balls in syrup as a treat and enticement to begin with would be good to get them where you can watch. I wouldn't feed this regularly - the healthy option is peanuts and sultanas soaked in a bucket of water prior to putting outside - easier to digest! Only put food out at dusk otherwise the birds may clean up before dark - esp pigeons, crows and magpies if they cotton-on to what is being put out!

Pauline

[Burko]

Honey, syrup and peanut butter is great for sticking to their teeth and causing premature dental decay.

[toadpole]

I have up to 4 badgers every night on my front lawn .... which i am totally ecstatic about the very first time i noticed my first badger was about 5 years ago at 1.45 am and it was feeding off sunflower hearts and a bit of bird seed that i trickled on the path for my chaffinches .... to be honest i nearly wet myself with the shock ...so i started feeding them every day since then ...i did ring my local Badger group to ask their advice and what to feed and he did say stay clear of honey and syrup and peanut butter on a regular basis !!!! so i put out a mixture of cat biscuits (good for the teeth )/ raisins /sultanas / sunflower hearts and peanuts which are then sprinkled all over my lawn and shared with the foxes /hedgehogs and 1 local cat !!once or twice a week i throw out a few custard creams which my Badgers love !!!!and last christmas day as it was sooo cold they had peanut butter sandwiches made with wholemeal bread as a special treat ...they arrive mostly 10.30 pm to me and friday and sat nights usually well after 11pm (extra activity nr my house because of people walking home from the pub ) they are not daft at all !!!....eyesight very poor and it is the sound and smell that sends them trundling down the path beside my house where they wait for 5 mins in the dark and come back to feed ....amazing feel so very blessed to have them in my life ....Marion