Badger Surveys

Scientific Name: Meles meles

EMEC Ecology staff have carried out projects relating to badgers throughout England including counties in the East Midlands. We have undertaken badger surveys and mitigation within Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Staffordshire in recent years.

Badgers and their setts are protected under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. Under this Act it is illegal to destroy, damage or obstruct access to a sett or disturb a badger while it is using its sett. A sett is defined, under the Act, as any structure or place showing signs of current or recent occupation by a badger.

How to Book a Badger Survey

EMEC Ecology work with many different clients from large council projects to small residential development sites. Each survey will therefore be specific to a site and the costs will vary accordingly. EMEC Ecology will be happy to provide a quotation for a badger survey that will be both efficient and cost effective to the site specifics. Reports are produced as soon as possible however should you have a specific date for submission with a planning application we will do our utmost to accommodate this.

If you require a quotation please send an email to us at mail@emec-ecology.co.uk including any site plans that you have available (or details and photographs of the site if applicable) with details of the proposed development plans of the site, along with your name and contact details. Should you wish to contact us at the office please call 0115 9644828.

Badger Survey Methodology

Desk Study

There may be a need for consultation with the local records centre and the local badger group. This will ensure that any records of badger in the area will be available which will help with a planning application.

Badger Survey (Presence / Absence)

The survey will follow the standard methodology, which involves recording the following signs of badgers: badger paths, footprints, dungpits, hairs, scratching trees, bedding and setts.

Badger Monitoring

If a badger sett entrance is discovered and it is unclear whether the hole is currently being used by badgers, monitoring of the site will take place. Sticks are placed at the entrance to the sett such that they would be knocked over if a mammal passed through. Sticky tape would also be fixed to the sticks to 'catch' any hairs of mammals passing through the hole. A further visit to the site would then be required to check whether the sticks had been displaced, and identify any hairs caught on the tape.

Bait Marking

This technique involves determining the territorial configuration of badger social groups. Bait is left close to badger setts which is laced with indigestible plastic pellets (harmless to the badger). The plastic pellets are each given a unique colour that can be identified through droppings. Badgers mark their territory with communal latrines (dung pits); therefore the coloured pellets recorded within dung pits can be used to form an understanding of the extent of a clan's territory. The information from bait marking can then be used in conjunction with recording other badger activity such as well worn paths and footprints.

Video Recording

With infra-red video surveillance equipment, EMEC Ecology have the ability to observe badgers remotely at different locations. This can provide more evidence of badger setts and give a better idea of population sizes. This technique can be used in conjunction with other survey techniques to help with a planning application.

Survey Times

Badger surveys can be carried out throughout the year however only limited surveys can be carried out during December and January as badgers tend to be fairly inactive at this time of the year.

Badger Exclusion / Disturbance Licence

If badgers setts are found during surveys, a badger exclusion or disturbance licence may be required for development works to proceed. If this is the case a licence application including a detailed mitigation report will be required. Licences are usually only granted for the period between the 1st July to 30th November, so that the badger breeding season is avoided.

In some cases it may be necessary to exclude badgers from a sett completely, for example if heavy machinery needs to cross directly over a sett. However sett exclusion should be considered a last resort, with all other avenues considered first.

A disturbance or exclusion license will only be granted by Natural England if sufficient consideration has been taken with regards to the welfare of the badgers. EMEC Ecology can assist in ensuring that appropriate mitigation is designed in the application.

Badger Survey and Mitigation Projects Completed by EMEC Ecology

Annual Badger Monitoring Surveys - Near Newark, Nottinghamshire

EMEC Ecology have been conducting annual badger monitoring surveys with several clients including a quarry site in Nottinghamshire. The standard methodology is used to assess the setts on the site where observations are able to determine if they are main, subsidiary, annex or outlying. This assessment has given an indication of how badgers have previously been using the site and supports recommendations that have been provided specifically for the site.

Badger Sett Closure - Nottingham

A recent project undertaken by EMEC Ecology involved the exclusion and permanent closure of an outlier badger sett. This site was given a license under Natural England, not for development but due to damage to property. In this particular case badgers were excavating a sett within the rear garden of a residential property. Although used by only a few badgers on an occasional basis, the sett extended across approximately half the garden and resulted in entrance holes and collapsing tunnels occurring throughout the lawn. EMEC Ecology staff were able to close the sett using one-way badger gates and exclude badgers from the sett. The sett was then excavated and all tunnels back filled. The badgers were believed to be residents from a nearby main sett and therefore the conservation of the local population was not affected. Furthermore, the badgers did not attempt to re-enter the sett during the monitoring period before excavation; indicating the sett was not of high importance to the local group. [more....]

Badger Sett Monitoring - Motion Video Capture

EMEC Ecology were commissioned to establish the population size of a badger sett on the Nottinghamshire / Leicestershire border. Infra-red lighting and motion sensitive video cameras were used to record the badgers leaving and entering the sett.

Badger Survey and Mitigation Recommendations, near Ashbourne in Derbyshire

EMEC Ecology undertook an Extended Phase-1 Habitat Survey of a proposed pipeline route and during this survey recorded a main badger sett close to a stream. The pipeline route passed close by the sett; therefore EMEC Ecology provided advice regarding the requirement for a disturbance license and necessary mitigation measures.

Construction of an Artificial Sett, Nottingham City

EMEC Ecology commissioned the construction of a replacement sett (constructed from concrete blocks, slabs and earthenware pipes) at a site in Nottingham city. The artificial sett was constructed and found to be in use by the badgers before their nearby main sett was closed. On this occasion the main sett was seriously undermining an earth bank and the only option was to permanently exclude the badgers.

Wollaton Village, Nottingham - Badger Disturbance License

A badger survey identified a main badger sett close to proposed works to construct a new access road. EMEC Ecology applied for and obtained a disturbance license on behalf of the client to carry out the works. The sett was protected and works timed to avoid significant impacts to the sett.