What animal made the hole?

[emmagreeny]

I was just doing some weeding in a remote part of the garden and noticed a big hole has been dug under some conifer trees(about 2ft wide and very deep).Who has dicided to take up residence?

[priveet]

Brock the Badger possibly.
Are there badgers in your part of the country ?

[emmagreeny]

I wouldn't know to be honest priveet, only lived here a a few months(east yorkshire).I have seen all sorts of wild life from owl to fox,but no badger. Are they hard to spot? What are the signs?

[katejess]

They are mainly nocturnal animals and also known for their shyness, so it isn't that likely that you will spot them. It could be a badger.....are you in a built up or rural area? They much prefer countryside.

[katejess]

Take a look at this if you are interested in learning more about badgers:http://www.badgerland.co.uk/main.html

[emmagreeny]

Hi Katejess, I am in the countryside.When go out with my dogs on a night they show great intrest in the area.I am worried as I hoped to get rid of the conifers,but I don't whant to evict my new tennants.

[mikewith]

We have a similar hole in the corner of the garden - it's where our neighbourhood foxes live.

[katejess]

I would say it probably is badgers then, but I am not a wildlife expert.....the website I mentioned has an "expert" who could probably help you decide whether or not to get rid of the conifers. By the way, I take it your dogs didn't dig the hole, did they?

[emmagreeny]

Good Question Katejess,but I don't think so.It turned up over the weekend when we were all away including the dogs. I suppose it could be another dog,but why the hell would it dig such a huge hole under and through tree roots?

[katejess]

Pass! Next question! Oh dear, I don't know Emma (sorry, just assuming that is your name)....I don't really know what to suggest. Perhaps you should try and keep an eye on that area of the garden at night.....you might catch a glimpse of the culprit....or at least identify it so as to find out better what to do about it. Good luck is what I say!

[emmagreeny]

Thanks everyone for your swift and speady responses,I will keep an eye on the hole and see what emerges. The landscaping will have to wait.It would be nice if it was a badger although that would mean no landscaping project.I will let you know if I find out who it is.

[quattro]

Have a look around to see if there is any evidence of the animal there may be hair lying round badgers have grey hair obviously and if there is a very stong urine smell it is possibly a badger . They are quite common now and as with other animals they are more used to humans and are more tolerant of them . There was one in the garden I look after and he dug up the 50 tulip bulbs I planted and ate them and ate his way through a Clematis trunk but live and let live (unless youre a squirrel!)

[Toglet]

Either foxes (bad news for your dogs) or badgers. Can you rig up a sort of "hide" and stay out and watch from dusk to after full dark? Alternatively you could put a layer of sand outside the entrance hole and examine the tracks which are left. Which animal it is determines what you can do about it. It is illegal to disturb a badger's sett, and foxes carry all sorts of diseases and parasites which could make your dogs (and children) ill.

[emmagreeny]

Hi quattro and toglet,If it's a badger then I agree live and let live. In fact I would a be thrilled ,even though I am a keen gardener. But I didn't know about the disease carrying parasite loving foxes! I only got my springer spaniels from the RSPCA a few months ago,what kind of rescuer am I? Setting up home in what is clearly danger ridden countryside! Maybe I should make some kind of giant hamster type exersise ball for kids and dogs or rig up some form of disinfectant pool al a sheep dip style.

[Toglet]

Emmagreeny, have you never heard of sarcoptic mange (carried by foxes, highly infectious to dogs and people and very difficult in dogs to cure) or toxocariasis and echinococcosis (spread by faecal contamination to dogs and people), both of which are very serious diseases in people?

[FredPuli]

Wow, toglet; you are such a pessimist.You sound like a townee who reads books. How come those of us who deal with dogs and have foxes about never seem to encounter a case of these diseases or even meet anyone who has ? Blimey that's the last time I let my 9 out on this farm ! The vixen oit the back will do for them all and me too probably! If it's a fox just get about 60 people in the garden, on horseback , and 40 couple of hounds and they'll catch it in, oooh,half a dozen goes, is my advice. IIt's daft but traditional..

[Toglet]

So you are a farmer too, Fred! You are fortunate your dogs (or are you arable?) have never contracted sarcoptic mange (it's called "scabies" in people by the way- are you sure you've never heard of it?), because it takes up to 6 months of vet treatment to cure it. Our local foxhounds are regularly dipped against it as a preventative measure. As for the other diseases: toxocariasis can cause liver and eye disease in people, and is what the tabloid press have a regular 'hissy-fit' about, and echinococcosis ("Hyatid disease" in man) causes liver, lung and brain cysts. Unless the foxes in your locality are regularly wormed, they are likely to be carrying all these problems. Rural foxes are generally healthier than urban ones, mainly due to their lower population density, but a responsible person needs to be aware of the risks to know what action to take in the event of their own or their animals' illness. PS - I forgot Leptospirosis ("Weil's disease") which can be fatal to both dogs and people.

[emmagreeny]

god morning everyone. what a cheary dibate to wake up to.It's OK telling me about all these diseases, but could someone tell me if I can protect my children and dogs? I have no intention of shooting anything! The countryside was here before I was and I can't just kill an animal because it's in my way. Although I did see a giant rat run across my garden into the farm next door, not sure how I feel about that.

[Toglet]

Have you discovered yet what is living there? That would be the first thing to do. Make sure you keep your dogs well wormed (every couple of months if you have 'neighbours' like that!) which I'm sure you do anyway. Make sure you clear away any droppings you see (that should amke it clear whether it's fox or badger, anyway), and don't let your dogs stick their heads down the hole in case it's fox (the mange mite will be shed wherever the animal goes, but is in high density around the den). Best thing is to try to encourage the occupant to move somewhere else.