...to be really pissed that my neighbour had put up electric fence?

[NiniLegsInTheAir]

Our neighbours (a mid 30s couple, no kids, no pets) have just had their 100ft garden 'landscaped'. Since they moved in 2 years ago they've left what was a gorgeous little space to ruin as they don't like gardening, and now they've had it redone to be as little maintenance as possible.

But as they've had their garden done, they've realised that all our gardens are frequently visited by badgers (and currently a family of foxes). It's a big deal having the animals as we're actually on the outskirts of a town centre so wouldn't expect to have such an abundance of wildlife. It doesn't bother me massively that the badgers sometimes dig holes in our lawn but our neighbours have taken massive offence to the possibility of badgers digging in their pristine lawn so have started trying all sorts to stop them gaining access.

They tried blocking holes - the badgers dug bigger ones in different places. They tried filling the holes with stones, they got moved.

Anyway - went out in the garden tonight to find they've put FUCKING ELECTRIC FENCING ALONG OUR BOUNDARY against the hedging that separates us. To say I'm livid is an understatement. I have a cat, as do many other neighbours, and a small DD who could easily gain access. They DIDNT EVEN TELL US THEY'D PUT THE ELECTRIC FENCING UP and I can't even ask as they've done it and gone abroad for 2 weeks!!!! FFS - if you don't want wildlife BUY A FUCKING FLAT!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, is it me overreacting or is this a massive overreaction on their part to a small problem?

I'm really struggling to work out why "children are involved" or that this is in any way irresponsible. There are no children involved because the people who have put the fence up don't have children. Op's daughter isn't involved because I'm sure Op wouldn't let her go through the hedge and into her neighbour's garden. It isn't irresponsible because said fence can't cause any significant damage to anyone, man nor beast. I've used electric fencing around horses, and the mesh sort around chickens, and have never found sad little dead hedgehogs lined up beside it. This is a complete mountain being made out of a molehill. I can only assume that many of the posters who think this is terrible in some way have never encountered electric fencing used with livestock first-hand.

I'm glad I don't live next to the OP with her judgy snipping TBH.

Perhaps they didn't tell her because they knew she'd overreact.
Perhaps it is actually a sonic fence and not an electric one.
Perhaps they exec her to keep her child on her side of the boundary.

Who knows? Only the OPs neighbours who we aren't going to hear from.

So you think its ok to put electric fencing up without warning people its there?

Is that how the contry folk live then [townie]

country*

I think it would have been polite of the neighbours to mention the electric fence.

I should clarify a little here actually as there seems to be a lot of confusion about the hedge - its a row of small conifers that have high stumps before any foliage and the electric fencing has been placed up against the wood - so clearly visible from our side (which is how I know its there) and within reaching distance of small hands. My DD (or myself) wouldn't need to go burrowing underneath the hedge to reach it.

Actually, freesea, I do dislike them (the feeling is mutual) because they're very inconsiderate neighbours (for a host of reasons). I couldn't give a monkeys about what they think of kids - in fact I know they have a niece & nephew the same age as my DD who regularly visit.

The vermin remarks make me , amazing how many people are so hostile to any kind of wildlife being present, most of the animals around us have been here longer than we have and will no doubt be here after us. I can't wait for DDto appreciate them so we can have evenings out badgerwatching and foxwatching in our own backyard,

I'm glad I don't live next door to twats that put electric fencing up without telling me.

...I am also a Cityie, and electric fences aren't something you expect to encounter in a garden. Interesting reading though.

im with usual there. i wouldnt be happy - i think its a very un-neighbourly thing to have done, particularly as the the OPs DD could touch it very easily as described above.

i also welcome wildlife in my garden, and cannot see how someone can move to the country and then be annoyed by the wildlife?!? surely you know you are going to have wildlife in the countryside? isnt that what the attraction is?

I shouldn;t worry a jot OP. I reckon all that cotton wool you've wrapped around your DC will protect her from any shocks

I think YABU actually. The neighbours have taken safe steps to prevent badgers entering their garden. They probably know they are endangered so have chosen electric fencing with that fact in mind. It won't hurt you if you touch it, just makes your arm recoil a bit (I grew up in the country, my mum kept horses-which had to be fenced in. I've caught my legs and allsorts on the electric fence climbing into the field!)

I also think sabotaging the fence is a very unreasonable thing to do.

We have electric fencing running all over our fields. My kids run in and out of it, sometimes they get a shock and if they are daft enough, they'll get another one.

Such is life.

The Op doesn't have fields,she has a back garden,not somewhere you would expect to find an electric fence to keep out the marauding ferocious badgers.

Am I the only one who learned about conductivity and earthing by holding hands & touching an electric fence?

OP, as they don't have children they might simply not have thought about warning you for DD. I see why you're pissed off but, really, it won't harm her.

I thought sonic fences only worked on the animal wearing a sonic collar?

i'd be tempted to dig a big entrance hole in your side of the fence, so that the badgers can limbo under the electric fence?

Nature was on this planet before us, surely we should all live and let live?

So there is a history here.

Sounds like you would be better off ignoring each other.

I suspect that there is wrong on both sides.

Usual, yes, I do think it is acceptable to put up electric fence without telling people. It's a low voltage electric vermin fence. It's not Jurassic Park! It's inside the boundary, in their own garden. If the OP can't keep her child on the right side of the fence, that's her problem. If the child is likely to be on the wrong side of the hedge, maybe they put it up to keep her out!
Actually, if the OP has a child, then why does she not have adequate fencing around her own property?

I live in a rural area and I would not tolerate badgers or foxes in my garden, despite being country born and bred! They ain't cute they are destructive to the garden and dangerous to pets and livestock.

Do those of you who are so worried about electric fencing realise that all systems use an energiser to convert the power to a safe voltage, and that most are only powered by battery?

I don't have a problem with the electric fencing for keeping out the wild ferocious animals.

I do have a problem with the neigbour not bothering to tell the OP.

I'm not worried in the slightest about the electric fencing, I think us townies have got the message that its only hurts a little bit and all your country children swing off electric fencing for fun.

usual

given the circumstances that are slowly appearing, it looks like the OP and the nieghbours don't speak to each other.

why would they put themselves out for someone who has stated here that she doesn't like them?

Am I the only one wondering whether the neighbours also hope that the electric fence will also keep OP's cat out of their garden? Clearly cat will find a way around but maybe they hope it will be a deterrent.

YABU, the cats who shit in my garden piss me right off, maybe they put it there to stop your digging, shitting, pissing cat as well as the destructive badgers?

What if they make themselves a pond? Is that inciting your DC to drown themself?

Good fences make good neighbours although they seem to have lost out slightly.

PS you will still get a shock if you're wearing wellies and whatever you do, don't get hold of your brother's erlobe and the fence at the same time becuase it doesn't hurt him more than you and he definitely won't throw an electric fence post at you like a spear and this post won't stick in your foot resulting in a hospital trip. Just saying.

My garden has a conifer hedge border like the op describes, and I'm afraid it wouldn't serve as much of a barrier to a toddler. We often have to crawl around under it to retrieve balls or bits that blow off of the washing line, so I can see how it would pose a problem to have an electric fence running along the bottom of the hedge.

OP, when we needed to make our garden more secure (pet bunnies) we filled the underside of the hedge with large stones to make a nice rockery--maybe that would help keep LO from getting a shock?

fuzzypicklehead thanks, that's a very good idea. I have thought of putting planters there but its north facing so wouldn't get enough sun, but large stones would do the trick. And thanks for bothering to read all my posts :)

boney at no point did I say we never spoke - if we meet in the street we exchange pleasantries, but that is all. They've given us too much grief since they moved in for me to ever want to be more friendly than that. A simple "by the way..." from them wouldn't have cost anything.

grumpy my pissing, shitting cat will only use her litter tray. But there are other cats in the area so you might have a point. I do think the badgers are generally more destructive than cats though.

And freesea so glad to have made you feel special .

And actually, what upsets me most is them putting the fencing in and pissing off abroad for 2 weeks - I can't ask them the voltage of the fence or even if its a permanent/temporary solution since they aren't in the country!