Badgers dig up lawns to find food. The most common sign is a series of small, cone-shaped holes in the turf, often appearing overnight.
It is frustrating, and it tends to get worse rather than better on its own. The good news is that badgers can be discouraged without harming them, and without digging up your garden to install fencing.
Why badgers dig up lawns
From a badger's perspective, a lawn is a feeding ground. Under the grass there are earthworms, chafer grubs and leatherjackets, and badgers can smell them through the soil.
The small holes they leave behind are called snuffle holes. They are made by the badger pushing its snout into soft ground to reach what it has found.
Digging is usually worst in autumn and spring, when the ground is soft and the larvae are close to the surface.
Badgers are also creatures of habit. Once one finds food in your garden, it is likely to return, and it will often follow the same route in each night.
This is why the damage tends to spread as the season goes on.
What the law says
Badgers and their setts are protected in the UK under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.
You are allowed to discourage badgers from your garden. You are not allowed to harm them, block a sett, or interfere with one in any way.
If you think there may be a sett on your property, get advice before doing anything at all.
Why most methods have limited effect
There are several common suggestions for keeping badgers away, and most of them have the same weakness.
Fencing can work, but it has to be buried around 60cm deep and angled outwards at the base, or the badger simply digs underneath. For most gardens that is a big job for a small return.
Ultrasonic devices tend to lose their effect over time. Badgers learn that the sound is not followed by anything unpleasant, and start ignoring it.
Home remedies such as chilli flakes or citrus peel fade quickly outdoors. The first proper rain washes them away, and the lawn is unprotected again.
Most of these need constant reapplication to make any real difference, which is rarely practical over a full season.
A simple way to help keep badgers away
Revira is a natural, non-toxic deterrent designed to help keep badgers, mice and voles away from lawns and garden borders.
It works on scent. Applied around the areas badgers use to enter, it helps make the garden feel less like safe territory, so they are more likely to look elsewhere.
Revira is:
- non-toxic
- safe for children and pets
- harmless to wildlife
The granules are clay-based, which means the scent is released slowly instead of washing off in the first shower. That is the main practical difference from sprays and household remedies.
See the mice, rodent and badger deterrent.
How to apply badger deterrent granules
Where you apply it matters more than how much you use.
1. Find where they get in
Walk the perimeter at dusk and look for flattened paths through the hedge or gaps under the gate. Note where the fresh holes are.
These are the places to treat, not the middle of the lawn.
2. Remove what is attracting them
Fallen fruit, spilled bird seed and an open compost heap are all reasons to visit. Clear these first.
If the food is still there, the deterrent is working against a stronger signal than itself.
3. Treat the boundary
Apply along the boundary and around the areas you want to protect, so the badger meets the scent on the way in.
Where damage is already established, apply directly on the fresh holes as well.
4. Apply at the right time
Apply to dry ground where possible. Autumn and spring are the periods worth staying ahead of, since that is when digging peaks.
5. Keep it up
Reapply every three to six months, and after prolonged heavy rain.
A badger that finds the boundary unchanged over several visits usually stops including your garden in its route. One that finds it treated once and then forgotten will simply come back.
A checklist for badger-proofing your garden
The first three points remove the reason badgers come. The last three make the garden harder to get into.
- Keep compost in a closed bin
- Clear windfall fruit and spilled bird seed
- Treat the lawn for grubs if the damage is severe
- Check the boundary for gaps under gates, hedges and sheds
- Bury fencing to around 60cm if you use it
- Apply deterrent along the boundary, not just where the damage is
Why it takes time to break the habit
Badgers follow the same routes for years, sometimes for generations.
It is much easier to discourage a new visitor than to redirect one that has been feeding on your lawn for a long time. The earlier you act, the quicker it usually works.
It also helps to deal with the underlying cause. Improving drainage and soil health reduces the grub population that draws badgers in, which makes the deterrent easier work.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to use badger deterrents in the UK?
Yes. The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 protects badgers and their setts, but using a non-toxic scent deterrent to discourage foraging on your lawn is allowed. Avoid anything that could injure or trap them, and never interfere with a sett.
Will the granules harm my dog or cat?
No. The formula is clay-based and non-toxic, so it is safe around pets. It works on scent rather than on anything harmful.
How often do I need to reapply?
Every three to six months, and after prolonged heavy rain.
Can I stop badgers digging for grubs without using pesticides?
Yes. Treating the boundary with a scent deterrent helps make the lawn less attractive to forage on.
You can also reduce the grub population naturally, using nematodes or improving aeration and drainage. That removes the food source without chemicals.
Do badgers only dig at night?
Mostly. Badgers are nocturnal, which is why the damage usually appears overnight with no sign of the animal itself.
Written by: Per Arne Reiersrud, CEO, Revira