How to Get Rid of Badgers — Legally and Humanely

If badgers are causing problems on your property, the legal and humane route is to commission an ecological survey, obtain a Natural England licence if a sett is involved, and use licensed one-way gates and exclusion fencing over a minimum 21-day period — never blocking, trapping or harming the animals. Badgers and their setts are protected by law in the UK, so attempting to remove them yourself is both illegal and risky.

This guide explains exactly what you can and cannot do, the methods that work, and how Crown & Burrow — a Natural England-licensed badger ecology firm based in Guildford, Surrey — can help homeowners and developers resolve badger problems lawfully.

Why you cannot simply remove badgers

Badgers are among the most strongly protected mammals in Britain. Under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, it is an offence to:

• Kill, injure or take a badger
• Damage, destroy or obstruct a sett (including blocking entrances)
• Disturb a badger while it is occupying a sett

Penalties can include an unlimited fine and up to six months’ imprisonment. Crucially, the law protects the sett as well as the animal — so even filling in an entrance or disturbing the ground above a sett can be an offence. Any interference with an active sett requires a licence from Natural England, and that licence will only be granted where there is a valid reason and a proper plan in place.

This is why “badger removal” is never a DIY job. The correct first step is always a survey.

Step 1: Confirm the sett with a survey

Before any action can be taken, you need to know whether a sett is present, whether it is active, and how it is being used. A professional badger survey establishes this through:

• Field signs — entrance condition, spoil heaps, latrines, hairs, paths and footprints
• Bait-marking — to map which social group uses the sett and its territory
• Camera monitoring — to confirm activity and the number of animals present

The survey determines the sett’s status (main, annexe, subsidiary or outlier) and underpins any licence application. Skipping this stage is the most common mistake, because the wrong assumption about activity can invalidate the whole project.

Step 2: Apply for a Natural England licence

If badgers genuinely need to be excluded — for example to allow development, or where a sett is undermining a structure — a Natural England licence is required. The application sets out why the work is justified, the methods to be used, and how the badgers will be safeguarded. Crown & Burrow holds the relevant Natural England licences and manages this process end to end, so you stay fully compliant.

Step 3: Humane exclusion and sett closure

The only lawful way to clear a sett is humane exclusion, not extermination. Crown & Burrow never harms, sprays or traps badgers. Licensed methods include:

• One-way gates fitted to each sett entrance, backed with stainless-steel mesh, allowing badgers to leave but not return
• A minimum 21-day exclusion period to ensure every animal has vacated before closure
• Artificial or alternative setts built nearby so the social group has somewhere suitable to move to
• Exclusion fencing to keep badgers out of gardens, sites or sensitive areas

Once the exclusion period confirms the sett is empty, it can be permanently and legally closed under the terms of the licence. Learn more about licensed sett closures.

The seasonal rule you must respect

Timing is critical. Licensed sett-closure and exclusion work is restricted to outside the breeding closed season:

• Closures permitted: approximately 1 July to 30 November
• Closed season: approximately 1 December to 30 June, when sows may have dependent cubs underground

Planning early matters — if your project falls in spring, exclusion work may not be possible until the summer window reopens.

Badgers in the garden: what to do

Not every badger problem needs a sett closure. If badgers are digging your lawn, raiding bins or pushing through borders but living elsewhere, deterrence and proportionate exclusion fencing are often enough. Removing food sources (pet food, fallen fruit, accessible bins) and protecting vulnerable areas can resolve nuisance without touching a protected sett. A survey will tell you which situation you are in.

How much does badger removal cost?

There is no fixed price, and you should be wary of anyone who quotes one sight unseen. Cost depends on factors such as:

• Site size and access
• Sett type and number of entrances
• The survey phase required (single visit vs. bait-marking and camera monitoring)
• Seasonal constraints and how long the project must run
• Licence requirements and any mitigation such as artificial setts or fencing

Crown & Burrow quotes per project after assessing the site, so you receive a realistic, compliant plan rather than a guess.

Get expert, licensed help

Handling badgers wrongly risks prosecution, project delays and unnecessary harm to wildlife. As a Natural England-licensed team, Crown & Burrow surveys, advises, secures licences and carries out humane exclusion and sett closures for homeowners and developers across Surrey and beyond.

Ready to resolve a badger problem the right way? Book a badger survey or call 01483 387478 to speak to our ecologists today.