“As cunning as a fox who’s just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University” Blackadder Goes Forth, 1989
The humble and cunning fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a common sight in towns, cities, and gardens throughout the UK. Sadly, many have come to view foxes as dangerous animals whose only thought is to kill.
While it is important to keep in mind that wild animals can be dangerous, foxes are generally quite docile. They will avoid confrontations unless provoked, threatened, or cornered. But that doesn’t mean that they can be treated like our other domesticated four-legged friends.
Despite there being a seemingly unending stream of fox horror stories they actually do very little damage to our gardens. There may be signs of some digging, a pungent smell, and a bin on its side with trash spread across the lawn.
In most cases though, foxes will run from people and household pets instead of savagely attacking. Even garden pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs are safe as long as the hutch is well-built and secured. Foxes may be cunning, but they also know when to give up if the effort outweighs the reward.
Table of Contents
Reasons why foxes make it into your garden
Foxes are intelligent animals. They have been able to continuously adapt to our ever-changing landscape and are just as happy living in a sprawling urban environment as they are in the countryside. Our gardens often create a wonderland full of interesting and tasty things which are irresistible for the ever-curious fox.
If you have spotted foxes or signs of fox activity in your garden but can’t figure out why they like your garden, check the list of some common fox attractants below:
- There is a water source. If you have a pond, fountain, or swimming pool in your garden don’t be surprised if you get some thirsty night-time visitors. Foxes, like most animals, are drawn to safe sources of water and will return time and time again.
- You feed other wildlife. If you leave food in your garden for other wildlife, such as birds or hedgehogs, you are most likely also being visited by at least one fox. Providing a wildlife-friendly environment is commendable but if you do not want foxes in your garden you should consider changing the way you feed other animals. Use specialised feeders where possible and place loose food in places which are easy to reach if you are small, like a hedgehog, but difficult to access if you are as large as a fox.
- You feed your cat or dog outside. While the smell of leftover pet food may be repulsive to us it is a difficult meal to ignore for scavengers such as foxes.
- Your garden is messy, overgrown, has a shed, or decking. Foxes are quite skittish and prefer to run and hide at the first hint of danger. Don’t be surprised to find that foxes are calling your garden home if it is overgrown, full of trash and discarded appliances. Or if you have decking or a shed with empty space underneath.
- You keep birds or other small animals in your garden. Although foxes do not kill as many animals as you may think, that does not mean that they have no interest at all in these critters. If you do keep small animals or chickens in your garden and don’t want them to be eaten, you will have to make sure that their hutches are secure and not made of flimsy materials.
- You have flowerbeds or freshly turned soil. The reason why foxes like to dig up our gardens may surprise some. Adult foxes like to dig up worms and grubs for a quick and nutritious snack. On the other hand, fox pups just like to dig for practice and for the sake of digging.
- You use natural fertilisers containing bonemeal, blood, or fish. As previously mentioned, foxes don’t need much of a reason to dig up your garden. However, using any of the fertilisers mentioned above is a guaranteed method of attracting foxes to your garden.
- You routinely leave gardening tools, wellingtons, shoes, or toys outside overnight. Leaving items such as shoes and children’s toys in the garden overnight may save you a few minutes in the evening but it will attract foxes, especially cubs. Pups view our discarded garden belongings as chew toys or the perfect thing to practice hunting on, whereas adult foxes mostly defecate on them to mark their territory. No-one wants to put their wellingtons on only to step in fox poop, tidy your garden up.
Symptoms of foxes in the garden
If you are unsure as to whether or not your garden is receiving nightly fox visits, these are the signs to look out for:
- A pungent, musky smell.
- A fox smell in your garden.
- Droppings in prominent places.
- Trampled plants.
- Dug up flowerbeds.
- Holes in the lawn.
- Chewed up shoes or toys.
- Half-eaten fruit (if you have fruit trees or bushes).
- Damage to fences, wire mesh, hose pipes, polythene tunnels.
- Trash was strewn across your garden.
- Your garden looking like a freshly ploughed field, foxes will dig up entire gardens if there is an abundance of beetle grubs.
What to do with foxes in your garden?
As foxes are not the violent monsters they are made out to be, the best answer to the question “what to do if you have a fox in your garden?” is to learn to co-exist with the furry visitors. Doing so gives you a front-row seat to witness fox pups joyfully playing, to watch the antics of adult foxes, and your garden will be kept rodent-free.
However, it is understandable that some may not welcome such nightly visitors especially if there are young children in the home. This is not the only reason as to why you may want to keep foxes out of your garden. Constantly repairing damage and fixing your flowerbeds or filling in holes in your lawn can become frustrating.
If you find yourself asking ‘how to deter foxes from my garden?’ follow the advice below to humanely deter foxes.
- Block all entrances to your garden. Inspect the edges to find out where foxes are gaining entry and seal those points of breach.
- Gather all toys, shoes, or other loose items in your garden before the night falls.
- Cover any sources of water.
- Remove or cover any leftover pet food.
- Block any entrances to spaces beneath your home, decking, shed, or other garden structures.
- Secure hutches or cages of any small animals kept outdoors.
- Remove sources of food. Make sure that all rubbish bags are tied and placed in bins with a secure lid. If you feed other animals in your garden consider purchasing specialised feeders so that others can’t get to the treats inside.
- Use plant-based fertilisers rather than those containing blood, fish, or bonemeal.
- Place a paving stone on top of your pet burial, if you have any. This way foxes can’t dig up the corpse.
- Leave a radio playing in a shed to deter foxes and their cubs.
- Use commercial repellents, they are not harmful to foxes, your garden, or any other critter.
If all else fails, there is the option of having more sophisticated fox deterrents fitted around your property. Fox deterrent systems of this type must be installed by a professional humane deterrent company.
Fox facts
We have prepared answers to some of the most common questions about having foxes in the garden. If you would like to welcome these little furry critters into your garden but have some concerns, keep reading.
Should you feed foxes and what should you feed them?
There is very little harm in feeding the foxes in your garden as long as you do it sensibly. Don’t give them large amounts of food and clear away any leftovers. Giving large amounts of food to wild animals does not tame them. All it does is reduce the fear they have of humans. This leads them to get close to people with the expectation of food which may be troubling for those not confident around animals. Make sure to dispose of any uneaten food – if you don’t, you may end up attracting less wholesome pests, such as rats.
As for what to feed foxes, they are mainly carnivorous and tend to eat birds, rodents, small animals, worms, and beetle grubs. However, foxes are also quite partial to fruit and, in adapting to our environment, they have developed the ability to eat almost anything such as cheese, bread, vegetables, and table scraps. Foxes will eat whatever you leave for them, just keep in mind that other animals may get to the food first so try to avoid onions, garlic, chocolate, and the other foods you wouldn’t give a dog.
If foxes have been frequenting your garden you may have had the pleasure of uncovering a small animal corpse while gardening. Don’t worry – the foxes aren’t ‘sending a message’, foxes store food in caches throughout their territory so that they have an alternative food source should it be needed.
However, you should also be familiar with the saying “a fed animal is a dead animal”. When it comes to feeding wildlife, they become dependant on this food source. And if they become accommodated with humans, it will likely pose a threat to their survival in the future, especially if meeting people who will be not-so-friendly towards them. Your best course of action, if you want to host these furry tenants in your garden, is try and recreate natural wildlife conditions for them.
NEVER try to hand-feed a fox, while it is unlikely to bite you it is still a wild animal and is unpredictable.
Mark Clark, gardening expert
Cat safety
One of the biggest concerns for pet owners is whether or not their beloved animal companion is safe while there is a fox prowling around. Few people are surprised to learn that foxes will run away from a dog 99% of the time, but many are shocked to learn that foxes will also run away from cats most of the time. If they get into a fight, the fox is more likely to be injured.
Stop foxes unearthing corpses
The death of a family pet can be a traumatic experience for everyone involved, but if you bury your pet in the garden and don’t take adequate precautions a more disturbing image of its corpse being unearthed may be awaiting you.
Foxes have a very keen sense of smell and regardless of how deep you bury your pet they will do their best to excavate it. It is unpleasant, but not the fault of the fox as it thinks this is just more food.
If you must bury your pet in the garden, dig a deep grave and place a paving stone on top of the body to keep burrowing foxes at bay.
Garden destruction
The damage foxes and their cubs can do to a garden is substantial. From digging to trampling plants, their destructive capabilities know no bounds. To reduce, or stop the damage being done to your lawn and flower beds try using a commercial fox repellent in specific areas. Just know that most of the plant damage is not being done maliciously. The majority of damage comes from the joyful playing of fox cubs and it is quite difficult to stay angry at small balls of fluff.
Another way in which adult foxes can destroy your garden is by marking their territory. You may be lucky and escape with just a terrible, musky smell but then again you may also encounter fox droppings. This is a reality you will have to learn to live and deal with if you would like your garden to be fox friendly.
Additional questions:
We receive quite a few questions about foxes, and though we encourage you to put them down in the comments below so that all of our community will be able to answer, we are going to feature some of them here.
What time of day foxes come out?
You may think foxes are nightly animals and rightly so. They do tend to come out mostly at night to find food, rummage through the garden and doing their foxy things.
However, when it comes to pups, you might witness them quite often during daylight when they come out to play. There’s nothing strange about this behaviour – the fox cubs are known to do this even in the wild nature.
Do foxes like to eat vegetables from your garden?
In general, foxes are omnivores, meaning, they can eat virtually anything that is good for food. However, the main reason why they dig up plants and vegetables is not that they want to eat them, but to reach the worms beneath them. It’s also possible that you used some organic matter and bonemeal for natural fertilisers, and foxes do smell that.
My neighbour’s garden has foxes. What can I do to stop them coming over to mine?
Unfortunately, there’s very little to do when it comes to foxes in your neighbour’s garden if the aforementioned neighbour is not cooperative. They usually burrow under overgrown bushes or under a garden shed, so those two places are pretty good spots for your neighbour garden’s fox habitat.
You can either arrange a garden clearance if the vegetation also spreads out in your garden, or try and kill the grubs and worms in your garden using natural pest repellents. The latter will stop the foxes digging your plants out.
So there we have it, your guide to foxes in the garden. These beautiful animals are often portrayed negatively in the media with only the most extreme and rare cases being mentioned. In reality, they are mostly docile creatures that just want somewhere safe to eat, sleep, and raise their young. So long as you take the necessary precautions you and the foxes can share the garden space and co-exist.
If you do not feel comfortable having wild animals roam your garden then we urge you to first attempt the deterrence methods listed here and if that does not work to contact a professional. Do not attempt to shoot foxes as you are more likely to only wound them. This leads to a slow death brought on by an infection. Instead of trying to ‘deal with’ a fox yourself call a professional.
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Very informative and helpful
Thank you
We are happy that you liked it, Steve!
Hi I leave out dog food, dog bscuits and scraps for the foxes in a dog bowl. More often than not I find the dog bowl turned upside down in the morning. Is there a reason that they do this, maybe to stop other foxes or animals getting at their food bowl? Just curious
I love all animals especially wildlife ! I feed cats , squirrels, birds , groundhogs , raccoons and possum all come visit and feast ! I love watching them and so does my indoor cats ! I’m not afraid of them and they don’t bother me at all. I make sure they always have fresh water all the time too! We have to help them especially in the winter !
Thank you for this I feel a little better now .
Can you just mention how we know that they have a home in our garden any tell tail (lol) signs?
Will they get rid of other pests out of garden
.
Hello Sat, so let’s see! First off, will they get rid of other pests out of garden? Well, foxes are predatory mammals and they should, in theory, attack and snack on vermins, too. However, if you provide them with a food source, knowingly or not, this might dull their hunter nature and they won’t bother getting their paws dirty (right back gotcha).
You can also check out our symptoms section above where we’ve listed the most common signs of a fox in gardens.
Hope it helps you!
Thanks, as really enjoyed learning even more facts on the Fox, especially as for many year’s now I have had the pleasure of watching them either I’m guessing a family of four, then a grown male Kit as if befriend me the year before last…..of it’s as if he knows when I’ll be in my garden by most mid or late afternoons….until late nights. Yet his “Sister” will mosey around for a bit, then walk on through to whatever other garden along my road she goes to.
I’d just like to ask, does the u.k garden fox or it’s kit’s dig under back of sheds and into them?
it’s no problem to me if they do, as no damage is done than the oddment torn top of compost sacks.
Of I’ll just think what I can use to reinforce my sheds insides back corner where that’s kept.
Of I know there’s no den in the back of my shed area….though think there is in a neighbour’s over grown unkempt/unused garden.
Thanking in advance for any replies 🙂
Hi, really helpful article, thanks! There are 5 cubs living I think behind my shed where there is also a very overgrown part of the garden. I’d like to get the garden cleared, but don’t want to distress the cubs. Will they move away when they are adults, and how long does this take?
Hey Kate,
Foxes are known to find their own territories when they grow up so there’s a pretty good chance they will move out once mature. It usually happens around the sixth month after birth.
Everything I needed to know about the beautiful fox cubs in our garden shed, 3 or 4 of them. Very informative, thank you.
Thank you very much, Maureen!
I only have a small garden 12ft by 16 ft but due to illness been unable to upkeep. Very overgrown. Now I can do some gardening I realise the is a family there with babies. I can go outside don’t want to hurt them. But I now have a small dog and would like my garden back. Any ideas plz
Hello! Yep, we’ve got a fox with 3 cubs living under our shed at the bottom of the garden. Whilst it’s great seeing them out and playing in the evenings, they are now doing a fine job of digging up the garden!
I guess they’ve been there for about 6 weeks now.. we don’t really want to have to remove them now.. how do do you think they might be intending to stay??
Hello Richard,
Cubs stay with their mother (vixen) fox, until they come out of age. It usually takes several months (between 4 and 6, but you could check with professional wildlife control specialists) until they fully grow and are able to find their own territory. Unfortunately, there’s little you can do about stopping foxes damaging your garden, and still make it fox-friendly – those two things don’t go hand-in-hand together. You could still try a fox repellent or a dig stopper – the fox and the cubs might still stay around if they find other sources of food.
Great info , thanks. I don’t mind the fox sun bathing on the lawn but I worry it will come inside if I leave the doors open. Is it likely to come in?
Hello Fluz,
To be completely honest, yes, it is likely to come in, if it’s tame enough. That means if foxes have been regularly fed by humans, they are not afraid to enter houses, to try and find more food. If you have a cat-flap, consider installing a special sensor, connected with your pet’s collar, that will only activate and open when your pet is passing through.
Thank you for the information about foxes – really interesting. We have one fox that has been coming to the end of the garden at night for several years. We see it sometimes and there are signs of shallow digging. Will that be a male if it’s alone? Where will it go during the day, and will it have a range of places that it visits like my garden? Thanks
I have a vixen and her four kits living in my large yard and garden, and especially under a section of shrubs near my house. Overall, I’m enjoying their visit (the pups have actually been spotted playing with two tiny fawns!) However, this area has become flea infested. I’m worried the fleas will spread and gradually make their way into the house. Is there anything I can do? Thank you for such an informative blog about foxes! I learned a lot.
Hello Judith,
Fleas are a big nuisance to chase away, especially if there is a constant source, such as the foxes. To be extra safe you can call a professional exterminator to deal with the problem temporarily (we offer flea pest control too, but only for inside the house) and restrict the spreading of fleas around the garden. Mind that fleas won’t stray away and search another source of food, unless you have a pet or someone stays near the infested spot.
In order to completely remove the infestation threat, you will have to unfortunately chase away the foxes humanely or wait until they leave the garden and treat it afterwards.
Thank you for this very informative article and associated comments. Very reassuring given our new house by the sea comes with a family of cute and playful cubs in the garden.
Over the past month, on 2 occasions, I’ve found the remains of dead birds in my garden. The first was a pigeon – just the feathers. But a couple of days ago I found the remains of what looked like a pheasant and that was not pleasant – looked like a satanic sacrifice and was horrible to clean up. I know there’s a den in a garden close by and I have seen 2 foxes playing in the garden next to mine.
I’m getting a little fed up with clearing up the mess – can I assume it’s the foxes causing it?
I only have a chicken wire fence at the top hence difficult to prevent them coming in – I assume they’re getting in easily and are using my lawn as a table 🙁
HI! there is a fox hidden under a tree in a pathway outside my house. It has been here all day, sleeping and looking at me scared. What can I do? I don’t want to hurt it, I only fear it needs help.
Hello there,
Wild animals rarely need help in an environment they have gotten used to living. Unless it’s injured, though it’s not advisable to approach the animal or feed it. A wild animal is pretty much self-manageable. If you don’t want the fox in your property, or you notice it’s injured, you can always rely on the services of a certified humane pest control company.
Regards,
Fantastic Gardeners
Hi, you can contact The Fox Project 01892 731565
For the past couple of years I’ve had 5-6 foxes coming into my garden & they often sleep on my garden chairs. They obviously regard it as their territory but the fighting & screaming is becoming a nuisance to the neighbours. They should’ve moved by now. I am guilty of leaving out scraps. If I completely stop, will they move on? I don’t want them to be a source of discord in the neighbourhood.
Hello Alison,
Foxes won’t leave until you stop feeding them. Then depending on your garden situation, they may try to find other sources of food (i.e. manure, if you use it as an organic soil feeder).
Other factors we’ve already may have mentioned above include:
– garbage disposal containers must be airtight and tightly locked;
– garbage bins must be cleaned from time to time;
– any pet food you might have outside, must be gone. Any feeders, anything;
– never leave unharvested fruits (provided you have a fruit garden);
– clear up your garden if you don’t want them to have a safe haven cover;
– if you have a conservatory, shed or anything else with a broken door, screen or window, repair it, as it is a place foxes use for hiding or storing food;
Cutting them out of the easy food source is a step in the right direction in any case. Our advice has and always been to never feed a wild animal. Their years of evolution have accustomed them to find their own sources of food with ease.
Check our other methods of getting rid of foxes above. You can check out our article on how to get rid of cats in the garden – as the methods here oftentimes work for foxes as well (motion-activated sprinklers, and lion dung repellents particularly);
In any case, we also advise using the services of a professional wildlife removal company as they do offer humane wildlife removal. We are not affiliated with any of the sort though, so we cannot provide recommendations as to which one exactly should you pick.
Best regards,
Fantastic Team
Thank you for your suggestions. They have given me some options. It breaks my heart to have to be so strict but needs must.
Thank you.
We have enjoyed watching three or four foxes eating peanuts we put out each evening. They usually come separately but sometimes two will arrive within a few minutes, although there is a dominant one who will not allow the other to feed. They do occasionally groom each other though. Sadly they have not appeared over the last few days. Any idea why this might be?
Hello Russell,
Oftentimes it’s difficult to predict a wild animal’s behaviour. We wouldn’t call ourselves experts on the topic of foxes, we just do our research, but from the looks of it, it’s either possible that they have taken a rest from the peanuts diet for a few days and they will come back sooner than later, or they have reached a point (age-wise) in which they have started exploring different areals.
Except the food source you provide, do you have any other favourable conditions in your garden, such as deep vegetation or an old shed, that attracts foxes? We do have some tips on how to grow a wildlife-friendly garden, which you can take into account.
Regards,
Fantastic Gardeners Team
We love feeding the foxes. But the cat then goes to the same spot, she starts eating their food. Will my cat catch any illness or diseases?
Can foxes pass on any diseases or worms to my cat. Cat sometimes eats their food, I put out.
Hello Rosanne,
Foxes are wild animals and you cannot be sure what parasites and diseases they might be spreading, and if you do suspect your pets have come in close contact with a fox, make sure that you follow up if everything is taken care of, regarding proper health measures – vaccinations, flea treatment and worms treatment.
Very interesting! We live in the countryside and a fox has started coming to our garden every day but as we live near fields of sheep I am worried it will get shot by the farmer. Should I consider contacting the RSPCA to ask if they can trap it and release it elsewhere? I have no problem with him visiting us at all but worry the farmer may think otherwise if he sees it!
I myself felt unsafe with foxes in Australia (they don’t look like British foxes), I’ll keep in mind not to leave any food outdoors or any dog doors on my doors for foxes to get in or any inorganic substance that’s non-vegan (if there’s honey a fox will smell it) outdoors and I’ll keep the doors closed at night, and make the henhouses secure so foxes don’t get in there to eat them, keeping the chickens inside and safe (if I want chickens including roosters), I’ll keep them inside at all times and I won’t grow any flowers or fruits in my garden, I’ll keep that in mind when it comes to attracting wildlife and I’ll keep anything with the slightest amount of sugar either packed away or put in the bin so as to not attract unwanted insects such as ants and bees (they bite), and I’ll put my empty bins back in the carport and full bins near the road with secure lids to deter foxes the vegetarian way (without using repellents), I’m very watchful and attentive and I’ll be especially careful when going near houses in Great Britain, Australia is no different, however if you do your work and not interfere with foxes as they look at you, act like you’re OK and then scurry off then they’re unlikely to hurt you, just don’t go near them unless you know how to tame wild animals like foxes. They tend to be awake at night and poultry birds of any kind, including parrots and pigeons are likely to make a tasty meal for foxes. So for all the vegetarians repel foxes the natural way witout those repellents for animals, the poor foxes, it’s now an endangered species, think about the environment!
We have a rather flimsy wire mesh fence on one side of our property and foxes are constantly bending the wire out of shape to pass through to our neighbour’s yard, which then allows our dog through (she won’t damage the fencing on her own but will squeeze through any gap already created by the foxes). Rather than constantly trying to patch it up, only to find the foxes had created a new gap, we were thinking of creating a sort of hard sided tunnel that was big enough for the foxes to get through but not our dog. Do you think that would work? Will foxes go through a tunnel (such as a short length of hard plastic tubing)?
Hello Phoebe,
We don’t call ourselves experts on foxes, however, it won’t hurt to try. Foxes are used with tunnels as their dens look quite similar. The more costly option but also probably effective enough is to reinforce the fence (if the said fence’s not too big and impractical to repair from scratch).
Your case reminded us of this fun video, though.
Good luck and keep us posted!
Hi we are very lucky to have today one has visited our garden 4times with in 2hours we treat the mange, if they have it also we treat for worms in total we have upto5 fox’s all of which have names
Christine, I have a large garden and several foxes. I name them all and observe where they are in the family hierarchy. I have found that if you give them regular small amounts of good suitable food they will develop glosssy coats and be a credit to your garden. Do not ever touch them but keep still when you see them and they gradually will not be frightened of you. When I sit on a garden seat they sit by my feet and smile up at me. Get dog or cat worming pills if you see them scratching their bottoms. They sometimes go lame for a while and then cannot hunt so then make sure you give them regular but small amounts of food and water..
Hi I have a fox visit my garden it has no fur on it’s tail . How do you treat mange as I would love to help it in any way I can
A fox or badger keeps digging up where a dead cat was buried and it won’t stop what do I do
Hello Natasha,
If it’s a badger, we have a few tips on our Fantastic Services blog here – https://blog.fantasticservices.com/how-to-stop-badgers-digging-up-lawn-of-your-dreams-control-and-deterrents/
You can check them out as well.
But we’ve already specified in the article what’s one of the best courses of action if a fox is digging up pet corpses. Did you try it? Let us know here if it worked for you, as we think the community will also benefit from your experience.
Regards,
Fantastic Team
I live in London and the foxes are a nightmare. I have a male dog who barks and keeps us all awake when a fox enters my small garden. Which repellants work which are dog friendly and suitable for a small London garden. I have done all you say in terms of removing food / water sources. I also read that male dogs urines should be a deterrent but clearly not! Help I need a full nights sleep!!
Hello El,
Is there a way you can get the dog for a few nights to a relative? Or at least, keep him/her home for a few days and not let them in the garden (you can stroll him/her along the neighbourhood), while some of these professional deterrents do their job?
I’ve also heard that predator poo might work! Give it a try.
A fox moved into my lean-too and shared the seats with my cats whilst I was away- when I got back my cats had picked up the mange mite from the fox and passed on to me and I ended up with scabies—we had to burn and get rid of all cushions etc-cats had to be treated for mites and it took two treatments to get rid of scabies!!!! So please watch out for your pets if there are foxes around !
There’s a fox in my garden right now! Third time I’ve seen him/her. Eye lock from the bathroom window. Before me or she has gone when they saw me looking. This time is curled up on frodty lawn just looking back. Not sure the attraction … other than fallen apples?
Not put any food out yet … not sure if should!
They will eat apples as they love fruit, I used to give foxes my jam sandwiches while out in the Peak District. Also ive fed them in my garden with dog food & any left over dinner scraps.They do get used to you & recognise you, & will come right up to you. J
So helpful and informative -Thank you. I bought this house 6 months ago and have seen a number of foxes around in the garden. I love them but will keep in mind the advice on toys etc in the garden. Very grateful.
I have a fox that comes into the garden quite regularly and sometime you can either here it coughing or behaving like it is going to be sick. This has been going on for a few weeks now, and I was just wondering what was wrong with it and if there is anything I can give to it by putting something in a piece of meat to help it get better?
Hey Mike, foxes make weird noises, it’s probably nothing out of the ordinary.
We have two foxes that visit our garden – one appears healthy -but smaller one has obviously got the mange.we ordered drops to help it but have not seen it for few days.if we treat food with drops in hope poorly one may get -will drops effect the other fox..?
Hey Bill,
This website might be of help to you. You better check it out!
Hey Bill. Contact The Fox Project 01892 731565, they’ll help!
Hi there – First of all, I love your blog. Very informative.
Regarding the foxes in and around our garden – a quick observation if I may.
The wife sometimes leave leftover vegetables, etc. out in the garden.
Although it mainly attracts birds (especially seagulls), every now and then foxes also pop over for a free meal.
Not sure whether it’s my imagination, but it seems whenever there is fox poo near the feeding area, the birds and squirrels seems to keep their distance.
For example – This morning I noticed we still had some old food out there, from 2 days ago.
But then there was also a ‘fox deposit’ right in the centre of the feeding area.
So I went out and cleared the fox mess away. It was literally 3 minutes later, and all the food had gone.
So it seems…
(a) Either the birds don’t like foxes making a mess where they eat;
(b) Or perhaps the fox left a warning to other local wildlife.
Any thoughts on this?
That’s an interesting observation right there, Dan. Foxes are omnivores and prey on birds and small mammals including. So yeah, we wouldn’t be left surprised – you can actually buy dung from bigger predators to chase smaller pests from home.
I think we have a Vixen. She has been in garden regularly and searching under overgrown shrubs. Now, a sleeping beautiful fox sleeps in garden in the day. Is she ok?
I have a raised herb bed in a sunny open spot outside my back door. The foxes keep defecating in it and all over the herbs. I am reasonably sure that it is a fox as I have seen them outside in the road and their faeces stinks.
It is very unpleasant removing it all the time and they are digging holes in the bed too and their “poo” is going on the herbs which we want to eat.
Have you got any ideas how I can stop them.
I thought your article was very informative but did not address my particular problem
Hey Ann,
Have you tried digging into the ground to see if there isn’t a “delicious treat” for the foxes to keep digging into? Maybe some larvae or other insects? You can try digging in, see what’s in there that attracts them. They are surely not attracted to basil and parsley. Then simply dig them out and throw them away for the birds. As this can be quite tricky, you can tie a wire fence around your garden bed.
We are not fans of fox repellents – simply because they don’t always work. If it ever comes to that, you might have a better chance with a professional wildlife animal removal.
Thanks. Very informative. Although I’m concerned about a fox which chased my children across the field at the back of our house this evening and then stalked the cats at mine and a neighbours tonight. Does this fox mean us harm or is it looking to make friends? My children were terrified.
I have a young fox which has no bush and looks as though it may have mange, how can I help it without interfering with nature too much, I hate to see an animal suffering
Hi Lindsay, make sure to contact The Fox Project, they’ll help! 01892 731565
Hey Lindsay, hope you managed to find an answer, but in such scenario, always call 0300 1234 999 – the RSPCA knows how to handle injured or sick foxes.
We have a Fox in the garden with three cubs, the mum always looks a bit thin and underfed, is there anything we can give her to give her a bit of a boost? We already leave food scraps and occasional dog food for her. Also she seems to have a partner sometimes, does the male also look after the cubs?
Hey Gary, no idea about the male fox, but we are still talking about wild animals, they have their own matters and we have our own 😀 foxes eat pretty much anything tbh, from my experience!
We have 5 or 6 small cubs living under the shed, They regurlarly come out and run around, however there has been no sign of the vixen for about a week now and fear something may have happened to it. Any suggestions on what to do about the “orphans”.
Hi, you can contact The Fox Project 01892 731565
Hello Ian, if definitely left orphans, feed from a distance, keep away, they are still wild animals – they will grow enough to leave the nest until July.
Just had a fox stuck in our garden by climbing over the fence. Unfortunately my wife left the out house door open, so the fox ran into their but not before a run around the raised beds.
It then thought it the perfect hiding spot to hide was nose down in a tight corner of the out house between a box and a brickwall. So, with a towel, I had to pull it up by the tail carry it across the garden and gently hoist it over the fence before gently dropping it back where it came from. I felt bad about the whole situation but I had no other way to get the fox out as it was nose down.
Luckily I wasn’t bitten as it was only young. We soon saw the all three young ones back walking around and gave them some meat as an apology for the bad handling.
Superb info. Such a joy to know we are doing the right things. Especially noticed that the fruit trees were attracting foxes, it has been amazing to see them pull down branches to get to the fruit (especially the plumbs!). Also, have never seen them attack birds or neighbours cats, they seem to tolerate the birds and run away from cats, which you mention.. some seasons, cubs will be brought into the garden,, but not every year. We keep mange treatment at the ready and have managed to put it into the food as recommended. Thankfully it has helped clear mange several times.
We have a vixen and six cubs living under the shed. The first couple of nights I saw them (couple of weeks ago) must have been their first outing as they came out at dusk and were going absolutely bonkers around the garden and flower beds. I haven’t been able to see them since so either they are late night players now or have left. We put a few twigs in front of the hole to see if they were disturbed in the morning hoping that would tell us if they were still there or not. They were moved a couple of nights ago so we replaced them again and they haven’t moved. Do I assume they have left the den and we can block it up ??? I would have thought they would still be too young to leave mummy fox yet ??
Hey Sarah, they might be just moving in and out from their “appartments” because “baby foxes (kits) … are often moved to different dens once or more times during the rearing process” – source. Hope that answers your query!
We live in the south by the Mediterranean and we have a fox visiting every night.It first appeared one evening in daylight. Are the French foxes the same as in GB as it was not as red colored as I expected.
Hello Peter, the city foxes do have similar behaviour, so you’d expect it to behave the same way as their fellow Brit counterparts.
It’s still a wild animal, so we advise you to take precaution. We are not sure how the law stands in France, but if you do have your own equivalent to RSPCA, by all means, let them know.
Hi
Great, useful article! We have a few cubs running around our garden, seen them over the last few days at around dusk and can hear them in the middle of the night too. Have no problem with them, but I do have two young children (5 and 3 years old), should I be concerned? They live playing out in the garden in the daytime when the suns out, could they be attacked?!
Thanks
Billy
Hey Billy,
It’s still a wild animal, so if you are concerned, make sure to not leave any food outside, avoid them becoming tame. They may look cute, fluffy and harmless, and, we’re sure in most of the cases they are, but if you have any concerns you can contact your local council to see if they can help you with humanely removing the foxes.
Belated thanks for this!
Hi, excellent site you have, we have Fox’s one male one female in our garden and have fed them for the last 5 weeks, the male keeps taking the plastic container away I’m guessing they have cubs?
What would you recommend to place the food in that’s more environmentally friendly if they take it? Thanks Jon
Hi John,
It’s not the only reason why a fox might carry a food container away. Oftentimes they just take it to stash it somewhere, digging up yours or your neighbour’s garden. If foxes have to feed their cubs they will find another way as well. So when you give them food, make sure it’s something they will eat on the site. For that and other tips on how to feed wildlife you can check this source.
Hope it helps!
A fox is regularly stalking and chasing my cat, three people have witnessed this (once at mid day). On many occasions the cat barges in through the cat flap clearly being chased and on the latest occasion the fox then demolished the cat flap (I have pictures) Foxy seems to have it in for Dave (the cat) and I’m getting more worried about it. I am going to program the cat flap to try and keep him in dusk to dawn as I do believe the fox means to kill.
My cats are often seen playing in the garden with the foxes – yes I feed anything that comes to the house – foxes, birds, hedgehogs – only leave it out so they don’t get used to people – I had one fox during the last cold snap waiting in the garden for food – he hid by the shed and waited until I put food out and went into the house then ate like he was starving – considering I’m in a city the wild life here still flourishes
I’ve had a fox visiting my garden most nights for several weeks now.. Beautiful, fascinating creature I observe from my kitchen window (not brave enough to watch from summerhouse!). He absolutely loves peanuts which he usually goes to first. The other night he ate the dog food then gripped the bowl of nuts in his mouth and ran off with it! Thanks for all the info, very helpful.
I have read the post. Now I’m asking myself how many people just do the opposite (using this information to get foxes to stay in their garden) .
Hi Fantastic Gardeners. This is a very informative article. My father, who is housebound, has a rather overgrown garden and, having seen signs such as taking one of his garden shoes away from the back door and up the path, together with digging in various places, we have discovered a very large entrance to a fox hole. We are thrilled as we love wildlife.
However, we have a wooden gate/fence across the end of his carport onto the driveway. It appears that the foxes have been biting at the bottom of this. They can get out of the carport by climbing up over the top as there is a gap so I am assuming the biting of the wooden gate is just their normal destructive behaviour? Can you confirm?
Hello
We are having some work done and replacing the wall and door at the side of our house. There are foxes in our area and I know they need space to circulate so I don’t mind giving them space to come through my garden. Have you any idea how much of a gap we should leave at the bottom of our gate to let foxes through. We don’t want it big enough for a human burglar!
Just moved into a house with a jungle as a garden and thought we had a fox living here, turns out that we do, she was staring at me through one of the windows this morning, casually observing us all. Very cool. Never even seen one before, used to live on a major road, came here for advice, thank you x very informative
I have fox that seems to have taken up residence in my garden/or neighbours garden. its reasonably friendly runs away and hides if l get to close, or my dog sees it and chases after it.
I get the impression its sleeping above ground say in border bushes or behind my shed. During the day it comes into my garden looking at every blade of grass, think its looking for grubs etc. I do leave some food out for it. My question is are some foxes ‘LONERS’ i’ve never seen any other foxes around it and it looks very healthy
I have witnessed and recorded 2 grown foxes in my garden today around 12 noon. But was surprised to see them in broad daylight.
Could there be a reason they were out in my garden midday? Or is this quite normal?
I think people should use fences to stop unwanted guest!
Its good to feed animals and birds but i am not going to face some wild in my garden.
I have never faced this issue! I have covered my garden through fences and thones.
I am clearing the back of the garden out which has over grown a bit and I was trying to pull out all the dead weeds to clear the space and I think I heard a growl will it attack me if I continue to work clearing this space that they have clearly marked as their territory as it next to my shed where they have dug to get into and under I’m worried now about continuing my garden
Hi,
We recently came across 3-4 fox pups living under our shed. We have seen a fully grown fox in our garden on a number of occasions so we are guessing this could be the mum.
We have been feeding the pups fresh fruit and meat. My worry is they have been left. How would we know they haven’t been abandoned? Last thing I want is for the pups to become dependent on us feeding them but at the same time I don’t want to stop incase the mum isn’t coming back.
Our next step is to set up a night camera at the back of the garden in hope we spot the mum coming to and from the shed.
Also how can we tell how old the pups are ? I have pictures of the pups but unsure how to upload them on here ?
Despite having lived in our house for over 30 years we have been visited by a fox/foxes for the first time this week. After reading your very informative article we think they have been drawn here by the pond following what has been a dry spell of weather. We are happy for them to come and visit, as our garden has always been wildlife friendly, but we are puzzled as to how they are getting in. We don’t seem to have any obvious holes in our boundary fences…are foxes able to scale a fence…? Or are we missing something?
Thanks! I have to look into this! I could definitely use some guided help!
It sounds like very useful info for anyone wanting to improve their home.
We love foxes and at the moment have between 1and 5 visitors each night. Are their bodies flexible? I mean can they bend to go under fences and gates?
Thank you, this is very informative however I’m still scared of the foxes who have taken up residence behind my shed in my small garden. I feel uncomfortable trying to share the space. They have cubs with them. Does anyone have any advice how I can manage the situation until I can have them removed kindly? Thank you
I have the most wonderful family of foxes in my garden at the moment. I spend a good half hour every evening watching them run and play together.
Unfortunately one of them died, we were there with it as it had come close to our back door and died in front of us. Any thoughts on what might have caused this. There were no marks on it.
How Soon can I dig up my compost heap that has a fox den inside and can I weed and prune shrubs near it in the meantime
I have a large compost heap in which the foxes have dug their den. The parents and cubs are still using it (May 2020) . Once they have used a den do they keep using it or do they vacate it and dig another one next year? At some stage I’d like to use the compost but can’t dig it out whilst the cubs are still in the den.
My next door neighbour found a foxes lair on top of his shed he has now got rid of this what will this mean as regards the fox and us with him keep entering our garden?
I’ve got 1 fox living under my shed it’s small and looks like it could be last years cub it’s been there about 3 months will it leave?
Hi thanks for this item I have found it really useful. Is there any food that I can put out that a fox will love but a domestic cat won’t? So often I put food out for the fox, we have a cub visiting nightly now…. but a cat often beats the fox to it & eats what we have put out. I put out all sorts of meats & a tin of dog food… I also feed hedgehogs too……
We have a regularly visiting little vixen. She’s been visiting us for the last couple of years now. She’s very small, but healthy and we love to see her. She sits or lies down on the slope of our pine wooded garden and waits to be fed. We feed her dog food. She usually comes to our garden at around the same time every afternoon and again in the evening. We’re waiting to see her cubs but although she was definitely pregnant, so far we’ve not seen her offspring……. Last year she had 4 beautiful cubs.
You’re right, we’re now worried about her not finding enough food if we go away on holiday……
Very informative and reassuring – thanks.
I was worried about my old cat when a gorgeous family of 5 moved in this year into my overgrown bank.
Great point about how they are represented esp. in children’s literature other than Fantastic Mr Fox (e.g. The Fox Busters – great book but reflects rather poorly on foxes!)
I now understand what they eat, why they eat or at least play with my strawberries and why they play games with the hose, the footballs, and dig up my lovely soil in my pots …
One top tip – lift all your pots up for the season onto tables, stools, whatever you have to hand – that’s worked a treat and also its nice to have the foliage at eye level.
The bits I don’t like –
when they raid a nest and leave the chicks without their parents 🙁 But nothing like my cat did when he was young .
they have properly trashed my plants by trampling and scampering around.
they don’t pick up their litter – its strewn across the garden – food packaging mostly – from goodness knows where – but its not too much
– there is a bit of poop – not too much and it dries out in the sun so it can be moved easily
– they can make a bit of a racket sometimes at night, but not as much as dogs barking and traffic ….
They are gorgeous, magnificent animals and the cubs are super cute – so I find it hard to object to them trying to just live alongside in this manmade world. Bravo to the foxes.
Hello we definitely have foxes in our garden but today I have woken up to my dahlia plant ( with 15 buds waiting to flower) and 4 big flowers on it, completely trashed. It is in at the root but all the stems have been ripped of it looks like someone has pulled it all and then jumped on it 30 times! All my other pot plants are fine. It has been in my garden a good Ffestiniog months so why now? Would this be the foxes? Nothing else is damaged?
I was absolutely thrilled a few weeks ago to find out that big and beautiful foxes live in the small overgrown area behind my house, I knew they lived near as I often see a small one walking down the road early on a sunday morning on its way home a few roads from me,. I live in the middle of a city. My neighbour photographed my new fox neighbours on my shed roof, it explained who had ripped open the bags of compost that had just been delivered. However the novelty has worn off now they are digging up my new plants and playing/fighting in my garden every night making a lot of noise. I’ve taken on board all the advice about how to prevent damage. My big worry is I often have my daughters two miniature dogs to stay, one is a puppy, im not sure they will be safe in my garden now. I am planning to enlist my neighbours help in clearing the 4 feet by 100 feet piece of waste land behind our houses although I feel mean doing it. Any advice on when best to do it w so the foxes are not harmed? Thank you
Hi I always used to enjoy seeing foxes however they are becoming a real nuisance in our area and have recently killed our family cat leaving her dead in a garden. The vet confirmed it was a fox that had attacked her. There are numerous foxes coming and going even more so in the daytime now than before. They are now coming into our back garden which is causing havoc as our dog is a terrier and barking every night disturbing our sleep and the neighbours. We have tried putting her in different rooms but she still hears them. We have a compost bin and are wondering if this is attracting them. We have buried the cat in the garden but covered the grave in a pile of rocks could this still be attracting them? We are getting so fed up with them and the disturbance of sleep we really need some further advice.
I often read that we must learn to live alongside foxes and appreciate them as wildlife. And I don’t mind their physical presence any more than neighbours’ cats.
But when they trash everything in the garden, dig up flowers for fun (worms don’t live in plant roots), poo on your doorstep and deposit mutilated animal corpses around the garden… are they really living “alongside” us or just taking over the place?
I’ve discovered an active burrow behind a tree stump at the end of the garden which has coincided with more destruction including a newly planted Foxglove being replaced with a pile of sloppy scat.
I’m not allowed to flood the burrow/den, throw a firework down it or fill it in (knowing that it’s active). All I can think of doing is to take a big dump right into the hole. Give them a taste of their own medicine. See what they make of that.
I live in large communal gardens which my cat roams and kills pigeons but doesnt eat. I cannot follow him constantly. Now instead if binning his kills, i leave them for the fox who clears up pretty quickly. I swear they have an ongoing relationship. I have trained cat not to bring them home as i find so stressful but i reckon this is more environmentally friendly than binning them. I have left small rodents out also. It sounds revolting but i think this is more natural.
Hi, we have visiting foxes to our garden every night. My husband bought me a wildlife camera for my birthday (I call it the Foxcam) which records any movement in photos and videos. We get a big male visit first then vixens. It seems that we get at least 3 different vixens visit. I can see they’re different by tail bushiness and one has a kink in the tail. What I wanted to know is are they part of the same family group and visit in pecking order as they visit with an hour of each other or are the visits just random from neighbourhood foxes? We have also had a pair visit together, Mr and Mrs, is this usual? Loving the blog, looking forward to hearing your views. 🙂
I wanted to throttle foxes who would frequently dig up my flower beds and poo just where someone would step. They’d also chew at plastic flower pots, scatter potted plants around and generally mess about.
I also had a lot of cat poo.
More recently (November), I notice a big fat lazy fox likes to ‘lie’ in a little trough it’s dug itself in my ‘nature area’ by the back wall which consists a dead tree stump, cut logs/branches and wild flowers. I wanted beetles and caterpillars, not foxes.
When I disturb the fox, it lollops to the not-very-high side fence and just about clambers up it to run off.
It may be fat but it looks very healthy -fur is all intact. Just too much KFC I reckon.
Thing is, since it’s been hanging out, I get no cat poo, no chomped plants or gnawed brooms.
And I do get a bit of fox poo but it’s more likely just in a corner and easy to scoop up.
Oh, and the odd licked-clean (chicken?) bone on the paving. Not a problem.
I don’t want a whole blasted clan of the oversized scavengers but would be quite happy if the present status quo continues.
After all, trying to completely eliminate any fox visits would be a huge task involving full-perimiter spiky fences and the like.
As long as this spot is a ‘lie’ and not a ‘den’, can I rest assured the number of lodgers are unlikely to multiply?
Cheers,
Pale Paul
Stay safe. Do some exercise. Have a beer. Just not too many.
I have a fox and 2 cubs in my garden. She is under a large shed. I’m very pleased about this as my garden is slowly being designed to be as natural.and bird/biodiversity friendly as possible. A fox is very welcome!
The garden is enclosed by walls and high fences. Should I get involved with feeding then?.should I just let them be?
If I feed them, is it true that dog food is ok?I did read your article and it mentioned it’s ok.to leave small amounts of food out.
We have a full grown fox that has just recently come to sleep outside our front door over the past four or five nights, got no reason as to why, as no pets buried there or food of any description left out.
Any suggestions as to why this might be.
its not that bad to have fox as a pet
but if that happens u should have a big garden
We have foxes visit us every night and like to watch them on our cctv mostly it is a big dog fox but sometimes it’s a vixen, We leave dog food out for them but not too much.
Can anyone identify some poo? Not sure if we have a fox
Hey, Helen. Give us a call and we might be able to help you out. We have pest control experts, too.
Thanks for the brilliant info. We have a couple of foxes that started visiting just after the first lockdown started. They are quite nervous but do come up to the patio doors to stare into the house (until we move and they are off). We have started scattering a couple of handfuls of fox/badger biscuits over the lawn and bought a wildlife camera to watch what they do. For the last week or so we have been having a badger visit too, which is so good to see. They do dig a little but it’s not a problem.
Hey, Mark. We’re glad you’re in harmony with nature. Cheers!
I have seen a few foxes in my garden and they also sit on my shed, my daughters little chihuahua got killed by a fox last year, I have 2 chihuahuas so I am very worried about the foxes killing them, I have jet washed all the patio and pathway to keep the awful smell out of garden, also I have put carpet grippers on the shed roof as deterrent, I will continue to look for more deterents as long my little dogs stay safe, I have also erected a picket fence around patio to keep dogs within that area away from the rest of the garden and everytime I let dogs out morning noon and night I have to stand and wait until they are ready to come indoors, as it will break my heart if a fox kills them.
Hi, I’m wondering if anyone can help. We have a family of foxes in mine and the adjoining gardens. They’re a joy to see and I wouldn’t want to be without them.
However, they’re driving my (normally docile) dog crazy.
She is particularly fixated with some thick foilage/ivy above a wall.
I wouldn’t have thought foxes would rest there but she senses something.
I can’t see and holes in the same area.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Rowan
Thanks for the info! I’m learning all I can to look after the foxes who have just moved into my wildlife garden, following heavy building development in the area.
Pam, the Sanctuary Keeper
Just found out why we have a fox in our garden it’s because it has just had Cubs
Hi. We recently had two small foxes visiting our garden to drink from the pond fountain. We had no problem with this, but woke up one morning to find one drowned in the pond. Whilst we are keen fish keepers and so are ever concerned about their welfare, we certainly don’t want to harm a poor little fox. It was heart-breaking. There is a net on the pond but it obviously took it’s chances. Is this a common thing, and what can we do to prevent it happening again? If they are intelligent, why would it walk on the net that clearly wouldn’t support it’s weight?
My client wishes to excavate a group of trees (area is 6m long x 3m deep). I have noticed a burrow entrance just at the front of these trees. There is flattened grass, several pigeon feathers & poop around the entrance and an obvious route across the garden and under a fence.
Due to these signs of den activity what is the best all round solution for my client.
I have suggested removing trees to ground level only, for now, with the possibility that the commotion would cause the foxes to want to move. At which point they can consider excavation for their outbuilding.
I dont really want to frighten a vixen & her young out of their home. I would rather encourage the client to wait until the burrow is vacated.
At what time of the year will the young be ready to leave on their own foxy journeys?……..in the hope we can hold the work off until then.
Thank you for any advice.
I have been feeding foxes for a couple of years now they have competition in the form of a badger. One of them is pooping over the feeding dish very runny and smelly is this fox or badger ,it hadn’t occurred until Mr Brock appeared , is it him or the fox. Brenda.
Had a fox in our garden for the 2nd day running. Bold as brass. Just stood it’s ground when I shooed it away. In fact it came closer and closer. Had the patio doors not been shut I’m convinced it would have come indoors.
Think it was a young Vixen.
How sure are you that it won’t harm us.
We have fed some foxes through the winter and have continued up until now. There seems to be more in the garden now and they come from different directions. Seems to be different foxes and not cubs that have grown up here. Obviously there is more noise , fighting playing etc. Ĺast night it seems that one had gotten up onto the flat roof outside of our bedroom window and growled whilst also making a noise as if it was licking the bottom of the glass . It was noisy and uncomfortable to listen to ! It got my wife and I up to try and confirm it was a fox. I can think of no other animal it could have been. Did they have our smell ? We’ve decided to finish slowly feeding them and stop them coming in. It was the end of our sub letting the end of the garden. Any views ?
Hi lovely article. I’m looking up foxes to try to figure out if they can carry a 2 litre yogurt pot over a 6ft high wall (with a well established bush next to it)?
I like to leave leftovers out for the animals, but the garden is a small walled garden, which animals can access by a little dip under the gate. I left an uneaten yogurt out wondering if it may be of interest to any wildlife- possibly pigeons – and did not expect for it to, not only be carried to the corner of the garden, but also carried over the high WALL!! We can ascertain this as there is some yogurt on the higher branches and leaves of the bush, which must have been used to propel fox(?) over the wall.
It’s baffling – and quite wonderful really, but as there are no windows overlooking this area, or lights, I’m not sure how to investigate.
Are there any health reasons to not eat vegetables that have been dug up and damaged (scratched) by foxes? Thank you!
I’ve had quite large deposits of vomit containing numerous earthworms in my garden on three consecutive nights . Do you think that I may have fixes living under my decking ?
I have been feeding and videoing a family of foxes in my garden since around June. Now (Sept.) the number of foxes involved each night appears to be lessening. Do the cubs start to move away from the parents at around this time in order to mate and bring up their own families?
Twice I have found soft toys in my garden, presumably left by foxes.
Whether this toy delivery is a gift of sorts I do not know but I find it amusing at the very least.
I have absolutely no problem with them and they often leave a “calling card” somewhere in the garden, I have occasionally left a sandwich of bread and butter only out for one that comes around and it is usually gone by about 11pm as I don’t want seagulls getting it before dark.
I have a badger also that is occasionally seen, the fox picked up his sandwich one night and when I went out the fox was walking away with the badger a little behind him!
They do tend on occasions to have a dig in among the plants or unfortunately the lawn which is a bit if a pain but they are only doing what comes naturally.
Wonderful to see the youngsters tumbling about in the garden at breeding time and have no problem with these fabulous creatures.
Thank you for this very informative article I have had a resident femail fox in our garden since she was a cub. She started to pull all the fur out of her tail and I sought advice from the red fox society and treated her with a homeopathic pill in a very small amount of food and she is now well and fluffy in her winter coat. I hope she stays but our neighbour shoos her out. It is a privilege.
Hello! We have a small pond (no fish) with a small water fountain poking out and several plants around the edge.
A month or so ago two plants were pulled out and left by the pond. This week (while we were away) the actual pump was pulled out and left on the grass- causing our electricity to short circuit and our boiler to break down! We do have foxes in the area and it’s possible they could enter our garden, but would they be capable of pulling out the pump and why would they do that? If not, we have a real mystery on our hands! Thanks for your insight. We are fitting a camera and would love to see foxes on the footage!
Do foxes attack cats.
When this house was built the foundations were dug out, all chalk, and left at the end of the garden. We covered these flints with grass. Now I have found interconnecting holes in the chalk. 5 separate ones spread over about 10 feet. Could these have been dug out by foxes.? We have a lot of them in the area. There is a very large hole at the base of my oak tree and I do not want problems with that.
Thank you for this info. We have a fox & cubs living in our garden. I occasionally leave scraps, chicken carcasses, dog food & fresh water for them. They live under the decking at the bottom of our garden even though we have 3 dogs & 4 cats. Quite happy for them to be here as they’re beautiful creatures.
A fox keeps coming in my garden (don’t mine they have been coming in for year’s) but this one keeps scratching a lot and it’s leg’s are red and looking a bit sore think he has mange or fleas, I have astro turf shall I put disinfect down?
I think a fox may have had cubs in the garden next to mine, it has been empty for over a year but resently the garden has been renovated and Trenches left open and I think our fox may have given birth and living under the house and l can hear squealing in my kitchen and under the extension, I am worried that the new neighbours may put poison down, not all people like foxes do you think that the fox and cubs will find somewhere else if they are disturbed
A section of our property is wooded but there are a ton of invasive bushes, vines, roses, etc. I’ve been working to clear those out and while clearing found either a ground hog or fox den (think it was ground hogs and the foxes ate them and have taken over the den). So I left that section alone as we had had a chipmunk problem that the foxes seem to have taken care of. If I continue clearing, the den openings will be completely exposed where now they are hidden under the privet/vines/multiflora rose. Should I continue to clear the invasives or leave that section to provide some cover for the entrance / exit to their den?
Thanks for this article! I’d love to sleep in the garden during the hot weather but I don’t know what the foxes might do – I know they are regular visitors. Is it safe to sleep outside?
Hi all , I have foxes for last few years , I feed them dog food biscuits postage oats and put drops in for mange , I have two cats that do t seem to care about them , they are in field behind my garden and come at same time each night , last summer cubs were playing but they do move on , I think with all the new houses been built here very little fields left , I have a camera out there so I can watch the comings and going , just love to see that they are happy and healthy
Having noticed a fox and her five cubs in my garden yesterday, 30 April, I was keen to get more information. Your blog was very useful, I love wild life, and to see the cubs playing and. chasing each other round is delightful. They have run over my beds, so May do something to protect the one bed, which has alliums and is about to burst into flower.
They have made a home underneath our garden shed which s situated at the end of our very long garden. So not much human traffic, apart from me,
I am putting water down for them, and just putting scraps out. I noticed a dead rat, and was surprised it hadn’t been consumed, but noticed the day after the vixen carrying it in her mouth. I guess she had just been to her “pantry”. .
Very helpful information.. I live in Birmingham, West Midlands.