Foxes are ruining my new plants, and digging up soil in my pots and doing a lot of damage

Posts

• Posy Posts: 3,601

  April 2020

  With great difficulty, I'm afraid. They can climb and dig so fences and walls offer limited help. I live in the country where foxes are still afraid of human contact but if you are in the city where they have been half tamed, there is a real problem. The pots may be protected with a covering of wire mesh, until the plants are well grown and of less interest, but you also need something to keep them off the borders. I hope someone else can advise on that. I would also ask EVERYONE to stop feeding and encouraging urban foxes. They are wild animals and they belong in the wild.

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• josusa47 Posts: 3,530

  April 2020

  Have you used any slaughterhouse by-products such as dried blood or bone meal?  The smell attracts them, and they will think there's meat to be found if they only dig deep enough!

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• Fairygirl Posts: 55,117

  April 2020

  @jyotijshah - @josusa47 is right - they're attracted by bone meal, so if you've used that, it could be a reason.
  I also agree with you @Posy. Some people see them as cute little dogs....
  If fences or walls are high enough , it helps, but otherwise it's difficult. The water scarecrows might help if you're able to get one and rig it  up. 

  It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
  
  
  
  I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...

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• KT53 Posts: 9,016

  April 2020

  I couldn't agree more with the advice not to feed foxes.  They are perfectly capable of looking after themselves, and may even help reduce the levels of other vermin if they have to get their own food.
  

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• Jason-3 Posts: 391

  April 2020

  We have had no end of problems with foxes. It boiled down to a neighbour feeding them. Very hard to deter though. I have found that a thick watery mix of the likes of cayenne pepper, chilli powder in the areas where they dig does deter for short periods. You will need to do this every couple of days.
  Other tips.. When they dig make sure you put the soil back. Foxes love mess
  As the rest of the posters have suggested dont use any fertilzer with animal products in. 
  Horrible job but if they poop clean it up and use a weakened detoll solution to spray the area
  Good luck

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• GemmaJF Posts: 2,286

  April 2020

  Must be something in those pots. We had a fox for years slept on our compost heap, drank in the garden pond, never was any bother in the garden.
  
  Totally agree regarding feeding. I don't believe in feeding any wild animal. We have had hedgehog families on and off down the years, never needed to feed them. I gave up feeding wild birds when I read articles that the feeding stations can be disease central and may cause declines in some species. Feeding a fox is asking for trouble.
  
  Do consider the Scarecrow water squirters, I have had a lot of problems with the neighbour's cat, it's really is not the average cat and hunts constantly even in the day. With a veg plot (read huge litter tray and nice place to dig up seedlings) and a wildlife garden (read free larder), it became intolerable. I tried everything, became depressed about it, then invested heavily in motion sensor squirters. Doesn't harm the cat, soon taught it my garden is NOT part of it's territory. You just need a mains water supply as they need the pressure to work.

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• jyotijshah Posts: 47

  April 2020

  Thankyou all, I am going to get Scarecrow water squirters. Have seen few types on Amazon. Any specific type sugession ?

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• GemmaJF Posts: 2,286

  April 2020

  I use Contech Scarecrow. The one tip I would give is to use brass hose fittings. The hozelock plastic clip on type can pop off, which can lead to a flooded garden. Brass fittings totally solved this problem for me.

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• jyotijshah Posts: 47

  April 2020

  Thankyou very much for all the help

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