Foxes. Just a tired whinge...

[laura g]

You know how jasper carrot got about the mole? That's me and foxes, that is.

I am tired and I hate them.

From 4am onwards my garden is party central for the little darlings. So glad we held fire on the chooks. I thought they'd be safe down by the house but these things don't care. Don't let the dogs out at them now because worried about them (dogs) getting hurt. But usually about 5am i've had enough of fox noises and accompanying hound yelling. They scarper when I go outside - but only to the end of the garden then as soon as i'm in they're back again.

They nick anything not nailed down. and then some. Last week I found my 50 foot dog training lead was missing. It had been wrapped 3 times anchored round a tree. Found it 100' away from there in my neighbours garden. They dragged it over an 8' chain link fence to get it there.

Got it back and this time hung it on a hook on the outside wall. they nabbed it again and took it over the top. this time had chewed about 6' off the end. THAT bit turned up back in my garden the night after along with some mcdonalds wrappers. They took a pair of gardening gloves and a teatowel as replacement. they also crapped copiously on the patio and of course first thing pup did was roll in it that morning.

I'm developing a fox twitch!

[Alice]

What a shame LaursG. I know foxes can be a real nuisance. I suppose I'm lucky. I've always had a fox go through the garden, but never had any damage or nuisance from them. All they seem to do here is lap up the slugs, slaters and other creatures I don't want.
Are you in an urban situation there ? I think I would probably be classed as semi rural. I think there are differences in fox behaviour in different situations. Friend or foe ? What do most grapes think.
I would put it on as a poll, but the facility seems to have disappeared, or I'm a bit thick tonight (distinct possibility there).

[OverWyreGrower]

Can you get someone to despatch it? A local pest controller type of thing?

We get a lot of fox-noise (barking, screaming etc) but a few places near us have outside-dogs (in kennels, chained up etc), so the foxes don't get too close.

I think your best bet would be to (somehow) make your garden unfriendly to foxes. Preferably by getting them shot....

[Polly Fouracre]

What breed of dogs do you have?Most dogs,even my whippets will kill a fox.
I'm not suggesting you encourage them to, of course,but they may frighten them away to someone else's garden.

[jacob marley]

You have to make your garden unfriendly to foxes to do this they do not like human urine so if when you have a piddle you can save it then pour it on the boundreys of your garden IE-where they come in it is a bit unpleasant but it works ps this is not a wind up jacob

[yoanbob]

didnt work for us, but maybe it was the tempting chooks that did it.
you can buy cat repellers that work on foxs, about £15 quid if i remember rightly, shouldnt affect dogs.
give it a try, the rodent ones definatly work

[moggssue]

How annoying and frustrating. The noises they make is awful, I sympathise. But fraid I dont have any suggestions to keep them away, nothing ever worked for me in Cheshire. When we got wheely bins the problem did get less, there wasnt as much for them to eat.

[cottage garden]

I have to agree with Jacob Marley. Human urine is the best thing to keep them at bay. It must be male to have the right hormones in it and it would have to be done every day around your perimeter for a few weeks. Some people also swear by hanging nets with human hair in,where they come in. Obviously from haircuts, not recommending any scalpings!

Have any of your friends got a big dog you could borrow for a couple of nights as well.

It is worth looking to see if there is a regular path they are using across your garden as well. By blocking one of their entrances or exits it will sometimes cause them to use another path which might not be across your land.

[laura g]

Thanks guys.

These are urban foxes. Living in rural N Wales we never saw one ever! Main culprits are a vixen and two cubs who are growing up fast. They don't come for food. Allegedly my neighbours a few doors down feeds them, the silly moo! They just come to party and nick things.

It's me that has the big dogs! I have 3 lurchers. I was hoping they'd do the trick. However they apparently come from the 'Benny Hill' school of coursing. Only damage to fox was it almost fell off the top of the shed laughing.

Raised all the fencing up to min 8' chain link and foxes STILL think it's worth the effort.

OH and son have been widdling the perimeters regularly for a while. Male guests are also invited to assist.

The green plastic sonic cat repellant was found taken off its stake and dragged up the end of the garden.

Good news is that one of my gardening gloves has come back this morning.

[kirsty b]

I'm not a fan of foxes seeing as they made off with most of my chooks a couple of weeks ago, but roughly 6 years back, I was staying with my nan in Dagenham and we sat and watched foxes in her garden just after dark. They apparently had an earth under somebody's shed a few doors down.
She hated them too as they trashed her plants and crapped all over the place.
Bearing in mind she was about 76 at the time and couldn't get out much, it really spoiled her enjoyment of her garden.

[Protea]

You don't say where you're based, but i'm afraid if all the above mentioned methods are failing to work, a shotgun is probably the best thing.

Try contacting your local hunt (or tell us where you are based, and we'll find out for you) - they often have someone capable of shooting foxes, or will know someone who can. Or a local farmer (again the hunt might know someone). There was an old boy at my last allotment site who used to take care of the 'rabbit' problem - i'm sure he would have done the same for foxes if asked! perhaps worth asking around?

My parents have lurchers - they're the biggest wimps around!! the local foxes nick all sorts of stuff from thier garden too, including the dogs toys!

Foxes in an urban setting are a right nuisence, they're bad enough in a rural setting where there isn't enough natural prey for them. It must be very frustrating.