The drought has made earthworms more scarce so badgers are more likely to visit farm buildings looking for food and water.
As TB-infected badgers excrete the bacteria in their saliva, faeces and urine, taking steps to restrict badger-to-cattle contact is important to reduce the risk of a TB breakdown.
Whilst evidence of badger activity, such as setts, runs or latrines, can often be seen in the field environment, knowing whether badgers visit your farm buildings can be more tricky, but installing a ‘trail camera’ is quick, simple and relatively cheap.
The cameras are triggered by movement, so no need to watch endless hours of video waiting for something to happen.
The TB Advisory Service has the following tips on where to place trail cameras.
Do:
Focus on points where badgers may enter or exit buildings e.g. doors or narrow gaps
Place cameras low to the ground (ideally around 50cm)
Avoid vegetation which may obscure or trigger the camera
Place cameras 3m – 10m from the target area (if too close, the flash glare can obscure the picture)
Don’t site cameras where they can be triggered by livestock movement or where they may be damaged by gates or machinery
For more advice on TB visit tbas.org.uk, call 01306 779410T or email info@tbas.org.uk.
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