...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?

The fence will be 12volt. It's not the voltage you need to worry about anyway. It's the output. Either way, it's enough to worry about.

I don't think I would consult my neighbours if I put up an electric fence around my garden, it just wouldn't occur to me, particularly if it was well within the boundary of my garden. I wouldn't tell them not because I don't get on with them or anything like that, it just wouldn't occur to me that it was any of their business.

I actually have some mole traps currently in my garden, now they would do much more damage to little fingers than an electric fence, but I haven't told my neighbours about them and their dog is small enough to sneak under the electric fence to get into my garden - if it sticks its nose into one it's going to get a nasty nip. (I have actually asked my neighbour to make an effort to keep his dog from running free and pooing into my garden several times).

Go out, touchthe fence, and see how much it hurts. Unpleasant, yes, but not actually that bad, either. Nowhere near as sore as an injection, or a nettle sting. It won't be a bother to someone with a pacemaker, nor a crawling-aged small child. And...it's in their garden.
If your child, your cat, or your dog, regularly frequents their property then their preventing it by a COMPLETELY HARMLESS wee jolt is fair enough. If they don't (like most peoples' offspring & pets) then why is it a bother to you?
Not telling you is a bit odd, but if you don't get on then I can see why they wouldn't bother.

We have electric tape up so that our horses strip graze our paddocks. Would never let anybody know we were putting it up - there are 2 wide strips of white tape suspended on white posts. They are on our land and people walking past would all see it.

We use leisure (like car) batteries and if you touch them you get a mild shock but nothing really. They just act as a deterrent.

If they were plugged into the mains then you are going to get an uncomfortable zap.

I don't think what these neighbours have done is unreasonable although in this situation they may have dropped you a note.

Sadly it is not illegal to put up electric cable fencing where badgers roam in gardens. Most councils will not act except possibly through their enviromental health department, where humans are involved. if you are lucky. I would have thought where it involves kids they would have to put up a sign every so many metres to warn you.
The police are sadly the only recourse you have but that is only if they are prepared to act. Most police forces can't be bothered. The response of police to any wildlife incidents or crimes is poor, some forces are better than others. it is very patchy from county to county. Most counties have wildlife officers attached to their Countrywatch teams, but usually only one or two and they will inevitably have to travel distances to see you and are often only partime officers to make it worse. Most of them are interested in stolen tractors, and damage to farms they are not really interested in dealing with animal crimes even though it is their job, unless it is severe i.e badger digging etc. You could try your local wildlife police officer but don't hold your breath. The crown Prosecution service has even less taste for dealing with wildlife crime than the police.

Quite right as pointed out, It is in fact illegal to harm, injure, kill or take a badger, or be in possession of a dead badger or any part of it or to, damage any part of it's sett or prevent it gaining access to it's sett either on purpose or by accident and ignorance is no excuse. The law is quite precise on badgers under the badger protection act 1992 and in the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. But everyone knows it is a joke as nobody with the authority to, seems to enforce it always. More badgers are persecuted and ill treated, through the urban setting and through homeowners building than any other type of situation as planners always manage to help their clients find a way around the law unless they are very wildlife friendly. Given that government is culling them it sends the wrong message to all so, people are just jumping on the bandwagon for their own ends sometimes.
I have known a council pass a planning app, (with no mitigation virtually for the badgers against the advice of their own local badger expert), with a huge badger sett in the garden of the property and the owners have encroached on a 50 year old badger sett with numerous entrance holes, and badgers living in it they have then systematically encroached on most of the foraging area, landscaped it and put up an electric cable fence around that area in close proximity to badger sett entrance holes to deter the animals. Which they then occasionally feed when they want to and zap them on the snout aswell no doubt.
But nobody will do anything at all not the police, natural England, councils etc.
Your best off contacting the RSPCA and the badger trust, they will do more to help you but it still may not be resolved for the good of the animals or yourself. It could be seen as badger persecution by some.

All these people do when they put up these fences is force the animals onto other neighbours land, where they may not be welcome and could come to harm from angry neighbours, so no they are not very nice neighbours at all they don't want the badgers digging up their lawn but are quite happy to chase them onto others land and hurt their children in the process aswell here it would seem. yes I would be furious aswell evil thing to do and totally outrageous I would go to maplins I think you may get a better result.

wildlifelover1

Oh not another zombie and this time over a fence
Ffs let those poor zombies rest.

Are you in the Uk , am surprised it's legal here.

What I want to know is has anyone got zapped in the last few years?

ZOMBIE THREAD

hoping the badgers up the ante and move the fence around the house in time for the neighbours return

FFS! I'm sure this issue has resolved seeing as it was 3 sodding years ago!

It's the zombie badgers, come back to wreak their revenge

I didn't know electric fences outside farms was even a thing.

Do they work on Squirrels? Sick of all the neighbourhood bastard cats crapping in my garden, and if this will keep squirrels out too, brilliant!
Cheers for the idea OP!

I don't really get the offence here. What's wrong with putting up an electric fence? It doesn't pose a danger to your DD or cat. You feel a small tingle, that's it. It will probably prevent both your DD and cat going in their garden, which might be what they want. About the badgers, I personally would be ecstatic to have badgers in my garden but I can understand that there are valid reasons not to (maybe they're paranoid about TB). Even if the neighbours succeed in keeping them out of their garden, I'm not sure (a) if they've done anything wrong or (b) if they will have done the badgers any harm. Surely the badgers will just build a new set? Foxes I know for sure are extremely resilient, so I wouldn't worry about them. Sorry OP - I think YABU (and you didn't help yourself with the tone of your post - why does it matter to you if they don't like gardening, have their garden remodelled to their tastes and not yours, or don't have any children?)

God I hate these zombie threads!

You scroll through and suddenly see a post from your bloody self!

Makes me think I've been sleepwalking or getting dementia or something.

Who does advanced search to bring up a thread to advise on???? I could understand if the first new post was "I've got this problem too..."

Is there a Zombie Badger emoticon? And if not, why not?

We use electric fencing for the ponies. Been zapped a few times and it's a bit ouch but nothing too horrible.

We did have a problem a few years ago with someone bringing their dcs diwn to feed the ponies. We have a poorly paddock that is all sand to put fat ponies on to diet them. Silly woman used to bring carrots and apples down. I asked her not to nicely and explained why.

I told her more forcefully a few times not to. And not to let her dcs climb on the fence.

Few strands of electric tape did the trick in the end. Pony knew not to go too close. Woman was leaning right over to get her to come closer. Arm touched tape and 'zap'. I wasn't around sadly but friendly dog walker filled me in.

If the fence is in their property then yabu. There are far worse ways of dealing with wildlife than preventing access.

.

We have done this with our property along with a bit of spikes at the top. I hate, hate cats and it does an excellent job of keeping them away.

What's with all the zombie thread resurrections recently?

I deliberately hold our ponies fence to test it-maybe I'm a zombie?

No idea Fallout. And all of them about really tedious stuff too.

I wouldn't particularly like it if my neighbours did this, however if it's on their property and there's a hedge between you I can't really understand why it's such a shouty, hysterical sort of problem, unless it's that big electric fence from Jurassic Park. And even though I like wildlife (I live rurally) I'd want to prevent wildlife from digging up my expensively landscaped garden, too. It's perfectly ok in the real world to love wildlife but still like to keep your own stuff 'nice'.

Wait and talk to your neighbours when they get back.

Armi they should be back by now. Or not even neighbours any more.