Urban fox deterrent

We are having a hell of a time with an urban fox - beside it weeing all over the place (and it properly stinks), it is also defecating all over the place, and has even had the cheek to nick my gardening shoes which I had left in the wee close between the back door and the outhouse.

Our dog (and neighbours dogs) are being driven mad by this fox, and it is becoming increasingly brave - last night, it managed to get hold of a bin bag (yes, I have made my feelings known about it not being in the wheelie bin), and was ripping the thing to shreds under Little C's trampoline; even when I put the floodlight on and with the dog going absolutely radio rental at the back door, it didn't bat an eyelid. I was even able to widely open our kitchen window (gate opener) and it didn't budge until I started yelling at it.

The health concerns alone mean that this fox has to go, one way or another. If I can manage that in a humane way that persuades it to sod off somewhere else, then fine. If not, then I will consider other options.

Any suggestions?

 

Good morning @fat controller yes "Language Timothy" is their no way you can prevent this fox entering your garden

The main method of effectively controlling foxes is the restriction of food supply. Research into the spread and density of fox populations indicates that the animals will not thrive and breed unless they have sufficient food sources relatively close to their den.

Foxes living in the countryside will generally feed on rats, voles, small rabbits, birds and carrion. The urban fox appears to rely much more on food scraps which are either left out for them or they find discarded.
The most effective way of controlling foxes is to minimise the amount of waste and other food sources available to them.


Fox repellents take advantage of this element of normal fox territorial behaviour by applying an alternative scent, which if successful, causes the animal to become nervous and avoid the area. There are a number of well tested repellents on the market which are available from garden centres and hardware stores.

Yours Sincerely
Fox Lover
North Kent

 

Thanks to you both

@wiseowl - our back garden is fully enclosed, with 6 ft fences on each side and 5ft fencing at the back; we believe that the main point of entry is the 5ft fence at the back so I am considering putting bamboo screening onto the top of the fence to add another couple of feet to the top - I want to speak to our neighbours over the back before doing this though, as they are nice people and I don't want to cause any offence.

The food source - this is clearly part of the problem. Bread getting thrown on the lawn for the birds, and the odd bag being left out of the wheelie bin (usually because the wheelie bin has not been brought round to from the front..... I'll leave this here and get the bin later, but later gets forgotten and we end up with the mess we did last night). I am also convinced that the habit of putting bread and nuts etc out for the birds is only adding to the problem - maybe an elevated bird table would solve this (we still want to see the birds etc in the garden)?

I looked at Scoot, but it seems very hit and miss. I am happy to use this in addition to other solutions though.

I even looked at a row of spike things to attach to the top of the fence, but I don't like the idea of them as there are a few cats knocking about, not to mention squirrels and birds.

Don't get me wrong, I have no desire to do any harm to this fox (or any other animal for that matter), but if it came down to it or me (or family) it would lose.

 

Being a country boy exiled in the city, I have no fundamental issue with foxes - they are handsome, intelligent creatures, and are a huge part of the tapestry that makes up our countryside. However, being a country boy exiled in the city has also given me the benefit of seeing the difference between rural and urban foxes, and they are two completely different creatures. Barring lambs/sheep being killed, I don't recall having many issues with foxes in the countryside - given the animal feeds we had knocking about in considerable quantity, that just demonstrates that the rural foxes are sourcing their food as Woo described above and purposely staying as far away from humans as possible.

Urban foxes, however, have become increasingly comfortable around humans, and are reaching the point now where they will put themselves into a conflict situation, and even being challenging in their behaviour, going as far as entering buildings and homes where a rural fox would run a mile. The bit I really don't understand is the destructiveness when there is clearly no food reward at the end of it - my garden shoes being only a small example.

 

Hi FC, I don't think the Food Source is part of the problem, I think it is the whole problem
It's surprising how many "visitors" a garden gets during the night. So leaving out food on the floor or in a bin bag, either deliberately or unintentionally, is going cause problems A neighbour of mine, three Houses down, and closest to the old Roman Quarry, bought a Camera Trap last year and placed it on the base of his Bird Table. In a week he found that Badgers, Foxes, Owls, Rats, Mice were coming into his garden which has 6' solid wood fences even though he was not leaving any food out. We didn't even realise that there was a Badger Set in the vicinity. But the one thing that was obvious was that although the visitors were searching for food to survive none of them stayed or did any damage. We decided the reason for that was that there was no food to keep them in his garden.
For me the Fox wasn't the problem but seeing the Rats was. They, the experts, say that there's usually a Rat within 6' to 15' feet away from you in a urban area. I know we tend to blame Foxes for ripping open bin bags etc but Rats are to blame as well, and they are in greater numbers. So there's an extremely good chance that not only are you attracting the Foxes but you're also attracting Rats and other Vermin.
The one good thing about a Fox is it is a good Rat catcher although if you leave a food source out, for any reason, it will naturally choose the easier I remember visiting the Railway Works in Crewe many years ago at night and the Security Team were using Infra red cameras. They pointed out a Fox in a Car Park that had been taken over by Gypsies and there, walking quite boldly, was Fox. The Car Park was also full of Rabbits, maybe 50 to a 100, who were munching away on the grass. The Fox totally ignored them and was solely interested in the garbage that the Gypsies had dumped.
Last year, a neighbour did leave a bin bag out beside his bin and several dogs ripped the bag to pieces and scattered the contents all over the road. He cleaned up the mess and then apologised to the neighbours for his "sins"
So, in my opinion, although you've recognised that leaving food sources out in the form of bread, bin bags etc is the real problem, I think you were focusing on the wrong thing..... the Fox......... due to the dogs reactions and the mess being made. It would be the Rats as well that most definitely that would be attracted to you leaving bread and other food out overnight which you probably wouldn't see, and they would make short work of ripping into a plastic bin back. The Rats would be the worry for me.
A Fox can jump a 6' fence easily or look for a gate etc for easier entrance if it knows a food source is on the other side. I have 8' high fences all around my garden, the top 2' consisting of slack Chicken Wire between the posts and since then I have had no Foxes etc in the garden. My one gate between the House and the Garage is 6' 6" tall and made of solid wood with less than half an inch clearance at the bottom. My next door neighbour regularly gets a visit from the local Foxes but since they don't find any food they don't stay.
I also use Bird Feeders with large saucers attached to the bottoms which are hung in the Lilac. The extra large saucers catch any spilt seed and that minimises Rats being attracted. I will have to borrow that Camera Trap from my neighbour though just to check on what moves around the garden at night apart from my 3 resident Hedgehogs

 

We have a 6ft fence that's on top of a 2 foot wall, but I've seen a big fox spring over it like a cat. so I think it will be very difficult to keep them out. Sorry FC I can't offer anything constructive, I get them in my garden and the cubs look cute but they are a proper nuisance rolling about in the borders and moving things around. At least ours are afraid of people and clear off as soon as we go outside, your rural foxes think they are going to be fed, Joanna Lumley has a lot to answer for.

 

It would certainly keep me away!!

Does that mean he should ask them to "sprinkle" their urine on his garden as well??

 

As long as my neighbours don't have magnifying glasses, I could sprinkle I suppose

 

I was thinking more Coke bottle - I am a realist @ Sheal