Since last autumn, I’ve regularly discovered fresh holes in the lawn as well as scratch marks on a favourite tree. I suspect my garden is being visited by a badger. Is this damage likely to continue – and what should I do? Anna, Co Wicklow
It’s not unusual for these nocturnal omnivorous mammals to visit gardens at night. Large, powerful, muscular animals, they use their heads and strong, sharp claws to excavate the ground in search of food, often leaving what are known as “snuffle holes” behind them. About 80 per cent of their diet is typically comprised of earthworms and chafer grubs, but they’ll also eat small animals and reptiles such as rodents, rabbits, hedgehogs and frogs as well as bulbs, vegetables and fruit.
Given the time of year that the visits to your garden first started, it’s very possible that your visiting badger is seeking out chafer grubs in particular. The larvae of certain species of chafer beetle are C-shaped and cream-coloured, with a dark head, and are about 15mm in length. Unlike the larvae of the vine weevil, with which they’re sometimes confused, chafer grubs can be distinguished by the fact that they have distinct legs.
It’s worth bearing in mind that some species of chafer grubs play a beneficial role in the ecosystems of our gardens
These grubs hatch from eggs laid in the lawn by the parent beetle in autumn and then burrow deep into the ground, where they remain dormant over winter before pupating to emerge as chafer beetles in spring. For badgers they are a great delicacy, and they will go to some lengths to excavate them from their winter hiding spots, often causing considerable damage to lawns as they do so.
The good news is that the number of chafer grubs in the ground naturally declines
Read more on irishtimes.com