FOXES are a common sight in Britain, both in our beautiful countryside and inner-city suburban areas.
They’ve been named by the RSPCA as one of our most popular wild mammals, loved by many for their sweet faces and curious nature.
But not all homeowners are thrilled at the prospect of a new foxy lodger in their garden.
The bushy-tailed creatures are known to rummage through bins, dig holes, become vocal at night and use your lawn as an en-suite.
Which is why some homeowners may wish to get rid of them.
But beware – not all methods of fox-deterrent are acceptable, and some could even land you in hot water with the law.
To keep you out of trouble, the RSPCA has issued a warning: “It’s illegal to poison foxes. The government’s Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme looks into the deaths of wildlife where pesticide poisoning may be involved.“
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 banned the poisoning of foxes and made any “unnecessary suffering” illegal.
However the RSPCA, the largest and oldest animal welfare charity in the UK, won’t capture and remove healthy foxes.
They say this could “harm the fox” and usually won’t “solve the problem”.
Instead, they’ve recommended these non-harmful methods of deterrence…
Remove food sources
It might seem obvious if you’ve fallen victim to a bin-raiding fox before, but you’ll want to remove any access to rubbish.
Keep plastic bags well out of the way and use securely sealed dustbins or composters instead.
Speak to your neighbours to find out if they have been feeding the foxes, and explain the situation before asking them to stop.
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If you’re feeding other animals, such as birds or hedgehogs, make sure their food isn’t being left on the ground.
Keep any pets (like rabbits or guinea pigs) inside or in a secure enclosure overnight.
The charity recommends the enclosures have a lockable door with a “solid roof and floor” and sides made from “weld-mesh fencing” – they warn against using chicken wire.
If you’re green-fingered enough to have fruit-bearing trees, make sure you’re picking any fallen fruit up from the lawn.
And if you’ve got your own fruit or vegetable crops, use fences of solid weld-mesh to protect them – don’t use flexible netting, as wildlife can get stuck and tangled in it, causing unnecessary stress and pain.
Remove shelter spots
The charity recommends deterring foxes by getting rid of any potential shelter spots for them.
These spots could include long grass, weeds or overgrown plants where the foxes might choose to rest during the day.
Simply cut or prune these areas back to prevent the fox from settling there.
Make sure you’re keeping your garage, greenhouse or shed doors securely shut and locked, to prevent any foxes setting up home.
Foxes love to build dens underneath sheds or decking areas, so make sure these are properly blocked off – but always make sure to check that the den isn’t being used first.
Other methods
Keep an eye out to identify the areas where the foxes are getting into the garden – then you can target these specific spots.
Try fencing (checking with neighbours first) or a defensive hedge around the border of your garden to make access more difficult.
Try an animal repellent that has been specifically approved for use against foxes – don’t use any substance that hasn’t approved as this could cruelly cause pain to the animal and land you in trouble.
The charity says: “If a fox is removed from the garden, but the environment stays the same, then other foxes will move in to take advantage of the empty territory.
“If you can remove whatever was attracting the fox – such as food sources or shelter – then this fox will leave, and other foxes won’t move in.”