Whether you’re trying to protect your beloved pet or you don’t want to see hours of hard work in the garden ruined, below we have listed some great ways to keep foxes away from your home.
Eliminate food sources
As with any other animal, the one thing guaranteed to attract foxes is food. Don’t keep rubbish bags outside because it’s very easy for foxes to rip through them and eat the scraps. Instead, keep them in a sturdy bin with the lid securely fastened. Make sure it’s not easy for foxes to knock them over or get into them.
If you know there are foxes in the area, try not to feed pets outside because the smell of any leftovers will lure them into your garden. Also try to avoid using bird feeders because any seeds or debris that drops down is a valuable source of food for any number of pests.
Use fencing to protect pets and livestock
Foxes are extremely cunning and successful predators and contrary to popular belief, they can strike at any time of the day or night. They don’t kill your chickens or family pet out of spite or because of bloodlust, they’re simply wild animals, hunting to feed themselves and their families and are acting out of instinct.
Chicken wire is your best bet when it comes to safeguarding pets against hungry foxes. Use this around your coop or hutch and don’t forget to bury your wire at least 12 inches into the ground and then turned outwards by about eight inches.
Also put rubble or old bricks on top of the turned out wire before covering it back over with soil. Foxes are also very good at digging so this will stop them getting to your animals from underground.
It’s also worth adding spiky strips to the top of your fence if it’s not very high or if foxes can gain access to your garden by doing something like jumping over from your neighbours’ shed.
Use a scent repellent
Foxes have a keen sense of smell which means that scent repellents can he highly effective. They typically work by mimicking certain odours that lead a fox to believe that another animal has taken over its territory. Their instinct to avoid confrontation usually results in them moving on somewhere else. You will need to be a little more hands-on with this method however as they need to be applied fairly regularly in order to work effectively.
Sound deterrents
Another effective and recommended option is to target a fox’s acute sense of hearing.For this you will need an ultrasonic device which unleashes a very high-pitched burst of noise to scare the fox. The sound is not audible to humans but is very effective in startling foxes. Every time a fox crosses the motion sensor, the ultrasonic device is triggered.
While these devices are more expensive than scent deterrents, they can be quite effective at keeping foxes away from your animals and once set up, they require minimal ongoing effort.
Please be aware that there are a number of control methods you cannot take into your own hands including:
• Using gassing or poisoning
• Blocking or destroying fox earths if they’re occupied
• Using self-locking snares, bows, crossbows, explosives or live birds or animals as bait
If you have a problem with foxes and would like to speak to a pest controller in your area, or for more information on ow to keep foxes away from your home please contact Prokill and we will be more than happy to help. Our accredited experts will be happy to provide you with a free, no obligation quote. What’s more, because we have a team of local experts, you can rest assured that there won’t be any long waiting times to get an appointment. Complete an online enquiry form or call us on 0800 328 9354.
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