Foxes

[sifly]

We have an alley way next to our house that feeds into the back gardens of ours and our neighbours. At the end of the alley, under next door's shed, is a Fox's den.

Next door love it and constantly leave raw chicken hanging from the washing line so they can see it/them (they're a family of foxes now) come up and get the chicken.

As we live in a suburb of London these foxes are pretty used to people. You can watch them leap over the garden fences during the day or lying on the shed roof sunning themselves in the afternoon. They'll scarper if a man comes nearby but not so much if it is a women or kids.

Now my concern is that I have 2 little kids...6 months and 2 years. The 2 year old loves playing in the garden and the swing and slide have been purchased. How can I be sure the fox....who lives 3 metres from where the swing will be....wont think my girl is a chicken?

I know Foxes are meant to be scared/wary of humans, but not in this area they're not.

How can I stop them coming in? Is there a spray you can use that puts them off? The council wont "re-house" them and the fence is no obstacle for them either.

Your thoughts.....

 

[sidecar_jon]

firstly foxes do not attack people not even small ones but i can understand your concerns, they arnt the most sanitary creatures. .. they dont like dogs (if you have one) or strong smells like Citronella oil, you can get Fox deterant sonic devices pretty cheep too..

 

[JohnD]

Or you can get a man to wee on the ground around the house, as foxes are cautious of scent-marking by large carnivorous animals, and let the foxes play at the bottom of the garden. Added: Perhaps it would help if you gave your children a sweaty man's vest to carry? Humans are also genetically evolved to use scent-marking of territory, as you might have noticed, and mature males most of all if they don't keep washing it off.

My mother has a large garden with foxes, and a dog which runs out at them during the day. The foxes keep away from the house, and look to see if he's in the garden, if he's not, they pay no attention to him. He doesn't go after them in the dark.

 

[joe-90]

Raw chicken and foxes means salmonella. I'd get onto the enviromental health people if I were you. Foxes are vermin. Pretty - but still vermin.

If they poo in your garden then the kids are at risk.


joe

 

[masona]

Just heard it on the radio,

Hang human hair in nylon stockings around the fence panels, you can collect the human hair at the barber.

I have no idea if this works, please let me know how you get on

 

[Thermo]

the sonic ones work quite well. we install them where people have trouble with them digging up their lawns. You can always try lion dung as well thats supposed to work!

 

[paulodipoggio]

or

ask El Presidente Blair to repeal hunting act ?

 

[sidecar_jon]

or

ask El Presidente Blair to repeal hunting act ?

yes invite a hundred yahoooo's in red coats with fifty dogs to ride thro the garden..

 

[sifly]

Thanks all for your input!

I am a bit concerned with the mentioning of salmonella. Is that due to the fox leaving bits of chicken in the den, or is it what could be in the foxes poo?

The nylon socks and human hair could be worth a try as well as the sonic deterent.

I would use Lion's dung but I can't get near enough to it due to the Elephant being in the way ..... I take it you can buy the stuff or do you need to be near a zoo?

Not sure about people in red coats and horses, but would my daughter on a tricycle with a party-blower be exempt?

I popped to a garden centre at the weekend and they suggested a cleaning product that I have now put, neat, along the fence panels. I can't remember it's name now but it begins with J and is used for drains etc.
Apparently foxes hate the smell........we'll see.