Badger Surveys

Background
Badgers and their active setts are strictly protected by the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. If you are changing the way your land is to be used, or are applying for planning permission, you’ll need to know whether and how badgers are using your site.

What type of survey do I need?
You can have a badger survey undertaken at any time of the year however during winter months evidence of badger activity may be missed by periods of badger inactivity.

Presence/absence surveys
An initial survey is undertaken to identify whether badgers are using a site or the areas immediately around a site, and to also identify potentially important commuting routes and foraging areas.

The survey involves a search for badger setts, latrines, snuffle holes, tracks, worn paths and other signs of badger activity.

Bait Marking
Bait marking is used to determine the size and boundaries of badger territories. Bait is left close to each badger sett which contains indigestible plastic pellets (harmless to badgers), each given a unique colour that can be identified within their dung. As badgers mark their territory with communal latrines (dung pits), the area can be re-surveyed a few days later and the locations of each latrine with coloured pellets recorded. These locations can then be mapped and to give a visual indication of the extent of a clan’s territory.

Sett Monitoring
If badger setts or potential setts are present then it may be necessary to monitor activity at the site to determine the importance of the sett.  Camera traps could be set up and positioned to observe the sett over several nights. Cameras are used to identify animals entering or exiting the sett. Alongside this, hair traps can be placed within the hole so that any mammal entering / exiting the hole will leave a hair sample.

Report
Following the survey we will provide a detailed report showing our findings and any required mitigation. If required we can develop a suitable mitigation plan for you.