Foxes have become a common sight in towns, cities and gardens throughout the UK. While some enjoy seeing these creatures roaming around, others can feel scared or annoyed because they can be a nuisance, here we explore what you can do if you have a concern or worry about a potential fox problem.
While any wild animal has the potential to be dangerous, foxes are generally quite docile and will avoid confrontation unless provoked. If you do see a fox in your garden, try to leave it alone and instead focus on the following steps which will help to keep them away.
How do you get rid of foxes?
If your garden is your pride and joy or you have pets or young children, it’s highly unlikely that you want foxes hanging around your home.
Fortunately, there are a number of safe and humane ways to effectively deter them from coming back.
Block all entrances to your garden
This can be tricky but if there’s a particular spot a fox keeps going back to, try to block it up. This may involve extending your fence above or below ground but please remember that you may need to seek planning permission before doing this.
It’s also a good idea to secure and block entrances to spaces underneath your home, decking, sheds and any other garden structures. These can all provide somewhere safe and warm for foxes to shelter.
Keep your garden clean
Foxes are known scavengers and will happily tuck into anything. This includes toys, shoes and other loose items in your garden. Try to remember to pack everything away at the end of the day because anything in sight is likely to attract the attention of a curious fox.
Remove food sources
Any food sources or water supplies will attract foxes and other wildlife and pests. Remove and clear up all pet food, sweep up crumbs if you’ve been eating outside and ensure rubbish is stored in a metal bin with a secure lid.
Many people enjoy feeding birds from their garden but if this is attracting foxes and you really don’t want them there, you may have to sacrifice the bird watching.
Try to avoid keeping small animals like rabbits and guinea pigs outside. Foxes can be very cunning and persistent. If they know there’s a potential meal, they’ll persist until they manage to break in. Try to keep small pets inside at night or in a secure garage.
Install an automatic water pistol
Foxes don’t like surprises, so an automatic water pistol is the perfect way to scare them off. They’re typically battery operated and connect to your hosepipe so will work day or night. When a fox passes in front of the sensor, it will release a short burst of water and scare any unwanted visitors away. It’s a good idea to reposition your sensor every few days because foxes will quickly learn which areas of your garden to avoid.
What smells do foxes hate?
A simple way to keep foxes at bay is to tap into their very powerful sense of smell. These creatures notoriously hate the following scents so you can either add these plants to your garden or boil the following ingredients together and spray the areas you regularly see fox activity or droppings.
• Chilli peppers
• Garlic
• Capsaicin
Please refrain from spraying poisons, repellents or chemicals in a bid to keep foxes away. Not only can this be hazardous to pets and children, there are strict rules about this under the CRRU.
You can find out more about fox control here or alternatively, please get in touch with Prokill. Our experts will be on hand to advise and we can also book you in for a free, no obligation pest audit.
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