[Misc] Fox den

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Another 5 minute job question

Having moved into our new property last year, we have found a fox den in what was an overgrown part our garden. The neighbours tell me that the previous owner would feed foxes so no wonder they would come back.

I know that legally you cannot remove foxes but you can block up the den if it is empty.

Before anyone starts, I'm not interested in any arguments about the foxes rights, just how to stop them living in my garden!

It seems people talk about using rubble or cement so would you bring in a gardener or a builder to help as pest control only offer to help deter them?

 

[beorhthelm]

fill in sounds simple, also cut back the undergrowth and create activity to make it inhospitable. dispose via a garden waste burner nearby reckon would help.

 

[METALMICKY]

Lion dung!

 

[Seasider78]

Having tried lots of things removing the crumbling shed they were living under and installing fox scarers worked for us in the end and barely see them these days.

https://www.primrose.co.uk/set-of-2...tm-and-behaviourspecific-timingtm-by-pestbyer

 

[Bold Seagull]

Such a pain having wildlife in your garden.

 

[Silverhatch]

Just wish foxes ate more rats

 

[B-right-on]

Such a pain having wildlife in your garden.

When we had foxes, they would sh1t everywhere and it STINKS, destroy our flower/bush beds and make a hell of a racket in the night plus I have a pond and they kept going for my fish. Don't have a problem with foxes generally, but having them in your own garden is a nightmare. Getting a dog got them moved on, not the reason we got a dog but was a side benefit.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

If the foxes could speak they might make the quite reasonable case that they were here first

 

[Biscuit Barrel]

Galvanised wire mesh placed over the entrance to the den has worked for me in the past.

Legally you can remove foxes. As long as it is done in a human way.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

If the foxes could speak they might make the quite reasonable case that they were here first

Please refer to my first post. The house was built in 1953 so not sure foxes live to be nearly 70!

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Galvanised wire mesh placed over the entrance to the den has worked for me in the past.

Legally you can remove foxes. As long as it is done in a human way.

Is that not using machinery

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

If the foxes could speak they might make the quite reasonable case that they were here first

I wonder if there’s a similar thread on Fox Den Chat with a disgruntled vulpine wondering what to do with a human neighbor who wants to cement his front door in?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

If the foxes could speak they might make the quite reasonable case that they were here first

 

[WATFORD zero]

Galvanised wire mesh placed over the entrance to the den has worked for me in the past.

Legally you can remove foxes. As long as it is done in a human way.

A quick drink and some compliments or the full night out with meal, wine etc ?

 

[Doonhamer7]

I had a badger caused me problems on a site (and a big claim), don’t know if rules are the same for foxes. You need to put a one way door flap (bit of wood that lets them come out but not go back) so they can get out humanely. It might be breeding season so might be limits until May/June as the parents would go out and then not get back in thus starving the young.

 

[Monkey Man]

We had foxes living under our house for a while. They buried under a suspended floor on our neighbour's side where there is plenty of cover.

I love foxes but the noise and smell became a problem.

Rather than concrete them in, which would have been the wrong solution on every level, I bought some fox repellent called Scoot. It reacts when the foxes spray against it and creates a smell they dislike.

I was also advised to spray my own urine (ideally collected first thing in the morning) and splash it as high as possible on the wall above where they were getting in, or at least higher than they could reach themselves. Male urine apparently works best.

The foxes initially reacted by spraying their scent even more, and believe me it could make your eyes water even through a thick beech floor laid on chipboard.

Every morning I would loosely place three or four sticks over the hole and every morning these would be knocked aside by the foxes.

Once the sticks were left in place, we knew the foxes were gone, and that's when we blocked up the hole.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

“ Any foxes, moles and mink that you catch are protected under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. You can be jailed and fined up to £20,000 for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.”

“ If the problem persists you can use the control methods set out in this guide, but you must not:
block or destroy fox earths if they are occupied”

 

[Bold Seagull]

https://blog.fantasticgardeners.co.uk/foxes-in-garden/

 

[Diablo]

Getting Rid of Foxes
There are some legal restrictions on how to get rid of Foxes. For instance the fox hunt has been banned since 2004. It is also not legal to poison a fox.
A fox trapped in a cage at the bottom of a garden.There are two main methods for dealing with the threat of foxes, which the pest control experts at PestControl.co.uk are trained in:
Live Trapping. This involves setting out a trap, a cage large enough for a fox, and planting it with bait. The bait usually has a strong odour so as to attract the fox. Once the bait is taken, this triggers the door to close, trapping the fox. The trap must be checked every 24 hours, but it is best to check it every 12 hours. Once trapped, the fox will be handled in a humane way.
Shooting. Although it illegal to poison foxes, shooting is still legal. Rifles are usually used to shoot the fox, and this is normally only deployed in rural areas.
In either case of course, it should only be employed by trained professionals such as the pest control experts provided by PestControl.co.uk.
Contact PestControl.co.uk

 

[Superphil]

A few solar PIR lights dotted around the place might help, they don’t like it when the lights come on while they’re being sneaky and cunning. It worked for me, got rid of the foxes and the badgers without causing them any harm, apart from having to go and live and forage elsewhere.