fox has taken up residence in back garden

ka7e

A neighbour of my Mum has discovered a fox and cubs in her back garden. She put a note through everybody's door to inform them, asking for them to be left alone but also that care was taken over securing chicken, aviaries and pet cats.

It's a residential area, with busy roads nearby. I think she is feeding the mum to ensure she doesn't go to far and get hit by a car.

jc808

had cats before and observed foxes in the garden at the same time - they just look at each other and get on with it

dirty_magic

My mom and dad have loads of wildlife in their garden and they love it! Their garden doesn't smell and the dog hasn't caught any diseases.

The foxes are no trouble, except for mating season when they can be noisy. Fox cubs are adorable, especially when they play like puppies. It's the badgers that cause the most trouble, they're a bit destructive!

The neighbours obviously get them too and they have complained about the badgers, but my mom and dad like watching them despite having to keep tidying up after them.

littlerock

Cultivating foxes may be OK in the countryside when you have a large garden but not in town. My next door neighbour had a den in her garden. It produced six cubs who then came into my garden and started digging a hole through to next door under the garden wall, presumably to extend the den. When I blocked that up, they started digging holes all over my lawn and the smell! Eventually someone, not us, poisoned one, and it ended up dying and decomposing behind our compost bin and we had to pay to have it removed. If you feed them by your house, they become bold and start thinking they can get food in other houses too, not a good idea if your neighbours have small children. It also means they need a smaller area in which to live so you get more foxes in the same space and more looking to build dens. I don't really see why everyone else has to lock up their domestic animals so that your mother 's neighbour can cultivate a wild animal. But if her neighbours do not object I would. My brother in law's pet rabbit was killed by foxes despite having a seriously strong hutch (they burrowed underneath) and another friend had his entire flock of chickens killed by a fox who managed to get in to their well secured run during broad daylight.

27col

dirty_magic wrote: »

My mom and dad have loads of wildlife in their garden and they love it! Their garden doesn't smell and the dog hasn't caught any diseases.

The foxes are no trouble, except for mating season when they can be noisy. Fox cubs are adorable, especially when they play like puppies. It's the badgers that cause the most trouble, they're a bit destructive!

The neighbours obviously get them too and they have complained about the badgers, but my mom and dad like watching them despite having to keep tidying up after them.

Some years ago badgers completely ruine two quite large areas of newly turfed lawn in my garden. Never had any trouble with the foxes. Apart from some large poos occasionally..

dirty_magic

littlerock wrote: »

Cultivating foxes may be OK in the countryside when you have a large garden but not in town. My next door neighbour had a den in her garden. It produced six cubs who then came into my garden and started digging a hole through to next door under the garden wall, presumably to extend the den. When I blocked that up, they started digging holes all over my lawn and the smell! Eventually someone, not us, poisoned one, and it ended up dying and decomposing behind our compost bin and we had to pay to have it removed. If you feed them by your house, they become bold and start thinking they can get food in other houses too, not a good idea if your neighbours have small children. It also means they need a smaller area in which to live so you get more foxes in the same space and more looking to build dens. I don't really see why everyone else has to lock up their domestic animals so that your mother 's neighbour can cultivate a wild animal. But if her neighbours do not object I would. My brother in law's pet rabbit was killed by foxes despite having a seriously strong hutch (they burrowed underneath) and another friend had his entire flock of chickens killed by a fox who managed to get in to their well secured run during broad daylight.

In fairness they don't actually live in the garden, there's wasteland to the side and behind and their den is on that, they just venture into her garden because there's no fence and they come through the hedging. I can see why it would be annoying if you had rabbits or chickens.

I think it's a bit of a myth that they come into the house though. I know it's been reported to have happened in London, but I think it's rare. The ones in mom's garden scarper as soon as they notice you looking at them. They'd never come near the house.

27col wrote: »

Some years ago badgers completely ruine two quite large areas of newly turfed lawn in my garden. Never had any trouble with the foxes. Apart from some large poos occasionally..

That's the problem they've got, they've returfed part of the lawn and they dig it up every night looking for worms. They've looked at how to stop them and it actually says to feed them so that they have an alternative food source. Either that or an electric fence, but they wouldn't want to hurt them or the dog! They put up a little 1 foot roll fence and they just barge through it, so there's a nice gap in that for them now! I think they like them really!

littlerock

well I do live in London and round here they are very bold. they do not run away if they see you in the garden they stand their ground. my son came home not long ago to find two fighting on the front doorstep literally. it is only a short step to coming inside the house from there if the door is open

km1423

All cubs should be well established now, and healthy little devils.

Get vinegar, 5 litres containers they cost about £2.99 and throw it regularly down the den, around shed or use cane sticks and tie rags soaked in vinegar around den and shed - resoak rags regularly, and vinegar in den.

When they have gone, and it won't take long fill in hole. Add paving slabs on top of hole. If your shed can be dismantled easily rebuild onto paving slabs. If not keep using vinegar - the foxes do get the message and will go elsewhere.

redmalc

We have been plagued by the bloody things over the last few years,noisy and fouling all over the garden.
Recently my wife observed a neighbour actually putting out cooked meat for them each night.
The only issue I have is its our garden they foul not his,I think I will collect it up and deliver it to him.

Skint_yet_Again

Maybe a motion activated water jet spray repeller would work on foxes - it certainly stopped the neighbourhood cats coming and crapping in my garden