Chemical Deterrents

RSPB Spotlight on Badgers book
James Lowen explores the lives of badgers and their communal living, feeding habits and threats to their conservation. Click here to buy: Paperback edition Kindle edition

Badgers digging in lawns is a largely seasonal phenomenon, most pronounced in early spring and late autumn. Since the problem is confined to certain limited periods each year, many gardeners find it easier to tolerate the nuisance than try to exclude the badgers from their garden. Minimising damage to gardens is difficult, as badgers are both powerful and determined creatures.

With the Control of Pesticides Regulations (1986) it is illegal to use unapproved chemicals (such as Renardine or RenCoco), not specified for a particular use, so care must be taken in choosing a product. Old-fashioned methods like "stinking-out" (with diesel oil, creosote, etc) are illegal, as those substances damage the sett and may cause permanent harm to the badgers (a protected species).Recent court cases have shown the willingness of the courts to send people to jail who use illegal deterrents (such as diesel oil or creosote or Jeyes Fluid). See the news story from the 11th May 2003 for more details. Given the ban on Renardine, it will remain to be seen whether people will be prosecuted for using Renardine illegally after the 24th March 2005.

As at 2008, there should be no stocks of Renardine anywhere in the EEC. It may not be sold, and all existing stocks must be been used up or destroyed. If any-one has any Renardine, this should be disposed of by means of an approved waste disposal company. In the real world, some Renardine still exists - sometimes being used (illegally) to spray on to animal snares and badger traps used in badger culling areas.

Some people (for example, the Cornwall Wildlife Trust - http://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/nature/mammals/badger.htm) believe that using bird or animals repellents which contain aluminium ammonium sulphate may be effective against incoming wildlife. In our view they are likely to be less than 100% effective, especially as they are often designed to be taste-repellents to deter animals or birds from eating crops which have been planted for later consumption by humans. There is little information available to indicate how effective these are against badgers. Importantly, as they have not been specifically licensed to deter badgers, such use against badgers may be illegal anyway.

Chemical Deterrents As of the 24th March 2005, THERE IS NO CHEMICAL LEGALLY APPROVED TO DETER BADGERS! Don't blame us - blame the politicians in Europe!

Old Wife's Tales! Badgers do not like the smell of human male urine. Use a watering can (!) to soak an old carpet strip and place this around valuable plants! Many animals do not appear to like the smell of Ralgex. Spray some old socks with Ralgex and place these around valuable plants as this may protect the plants from badgers, cats and dogs.

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