Mice, squirrels and badgers
Wildlife Mammals that dig up seeds, steal nuts and raid sweetcorn.
What to look for
Pea and bean seeds dug up and eaten, nuts stolen from trees, sweetcorn cobs stripped or flattened, and holes dug in beds.
When: Spring sowing, and late summer to autumn for sweetcorn and nuts.
How to prevent it
- Sow peas and beans in pots under cover and plant out seedlings.
- Cover seeds in the ground with fine mesh or chicken wire until they have germinated.
- Pick nuts and sweetcorn as soon as they are ready.
- Use a low electric fence or strong fencing around sweetcorn if badgers are a problem.
How to deal with it
- Set humane traps or snap traps for mice near seed rows, in covered boxes so other animals cannot reach them.
- Never interfere with a badger sett, as badgers and their setts are protected by law.
Crops it affects
If you choose to use any treatment, use only products approved for UK home gardens, follow the label and avoid spraying open flowers. See all pests and diseases.