If you have a private house or a backyard where you grow different crops and keep livestock, a fox may visit it. These cunning animals can enter the barn and harm your birds. Besides, they are capable of attacking domestic animals such as cats or rabbits, blasting holes under buildings and fences.
The activity of these animals can cause you a lot of trouble and problems. From this article, you will learn what repels foxes and how you can keep foxes away from your area.
- Install spotlights and water sprinklers with motion detection.
- Install ultrasonic devices to repel animals.
- Use odor control products. Or sprays and pellets with wolf urine.
- Store garbage in metal trash cans.
- Lock up your pets overnight in separate rooms with no outside access.
- Put a fence around your property.
Everything You Need to Know About Foxes
Before finding out how to keep foxes away, it would be best to get some information about these animals. For example, why they come to houses and what things they dislike.
What attracts foxes
Foxes definitely don’t come to people for the latest news. They are searching for food. They are attracted to smells and food residues, food waste in compost pits, some organic soil fertilizers (bone meal and fish meal), ornamental ponds. Furthermore, small animals also live in residential areas.
These can be various rodents like hamsters, rats, mice, etc. Additionally, if you have poultry in your area, foxes can come for it.
What are foxes afraid of
Foxes are predators, which means, like many predators, they have an incredibly powerful smell. But it can be turned against them too. There are, of course, scents that foxes hate.
You can use natural ingredients such as garlic and capsaicin, chili peppers, and other spices with a strong flavor. Boil the ingredients in a little water, blend in a blender, and then spread around the area where you have met foxes.
How to keep foxes away
There are many ways how to keep foxes out of your yard. Install spotlights and water sprinklers with motion detection. Also, you can install ultrasonic devices for repelling animals. Aim them at the foxes hitting your site.
Use commercial or homemade (chili, garlic, vinegar, coffee, etc.) odor-fighting agents to knock a fox off its trail. You can also try to use products such as the wolf pee sprays and granules to let a fox know that the territory is already occupied.
Follow specific rules to prevent a fox from appearing. Do not store food waste and miscellaneous debris in your area. Foxes are very fond of poking around in garbage cans in search of food. Place your trash in containers with tight-fitting lids.
It is better if they are made of metal since plastic buckets or bags can be easily torn apart by foxes—store fertilizers in a separate place and special containers out of the animal’s reach. Do not use fish or small animal bones as fertilizers. A fox will surely smell their smell and will dig holes in search of bones.
Lock your pets at night in separate areas without the possibility of entry from outside. Foxes can injure or kill small dogs or cats, or infect them with rabies.
The floor in the room where poultry or other animals live should be solid, preferably concrete. It will prevent a fox from burrowing outside and help you deter foxes from chickens. The doors must be reliable, preferably made of metal.
It is recommended to enclose your site with a wooden or wire fence at least 180 cm high. In places where the animal may appear, this fence can be dug into the ground half a meter deep. Thus, you will prevent a fox from entering the site by underground and overground methods.
Top 3 Fox Repellents
1. Ultrasonic Pest Repellent with Motion Sensor and Flashing Lights Outdoor Repellent — Best Ultrasonic Fox Repellent
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This ultrasonic repeller from the PETBROO brand scares away various animals without harming them. Your pets and birds will also be safe. The tool has a built-in infrared motion sensor that emits an ultrasonic signal not perceived by humans. The fixture is also equipped with LEDs for a more distant reflection of intruders.
The Ultrasonic Pest Repellent works due to solar energy that makes it even more convenient. It’s also effortless to install. You don’t have to mess with it at all. Just hang it on the wall or stick it into the ground. One of the main advantages of this device, in my opinion, is its water resistance. It works in any weather, which means that a fox will not get close to you.
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2. Patriot PE2 Electric Fence Energizer — Best Electric Fence Energizer
Specifications:
- Rounds: 6
- Caliber: 0.177
- Air Gun Power Type: Electric
- Item Weight:1.5 Pounds
- Item Dimensions LxWxH: 3.5 x 10 x 8 inches
If you are looking for an affordable electric fence device suitable for small areas, this model is what you need. The tool perfectly covers areas up to 40 acres. The energizer can be used on several types of fences, including mesh or single wire. The device works with intermittent pulses.
Patriot is very easy to use. It is suitable even for those who do not have much experience in interacting with such devices. You are unlikely to have any installation problems. The foxes will soon get used to the fence and stop bothering you.
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3. The Pee Mart – Wolf Urine 16 oz E-Z Trigger Spray — Best Natural Fox Repellent
Specifications:
- Active Ingredient: 100% Real Coyote Urine
- Item Form: Spray
- Item Volume: 16 fl.oz.
- Item Weight: 1.5 Pounds
- Item Dimensions LxWxH: 2 x 3 x 7 inches
Getting rid of foxes, you can also try natural repellents that also can be effective. The spray scares away foxes by simulating the presence of a giant wolf predator. This spray contains 100% wolf urine, not a pesticide, and is the most environmentally friendly solution.
Since the solution is not diluted, a fox cannot ignore the smell, which causes its fear at the genetic level. You only need to spray the product around the perimeter of your site. It will help mimic the terrain markings that a wolf would typically do.
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FAQ
Do foxes dig holes?
A fox willingly digs holes near human dwellings, and sometimes foxes even wander into big cities. A fox often does not want to dig a hole on its own and uses other animals’ homes. For example, a fox can use burrows dug by a badger. Burrows often serve as a refuge for them in case of danger.
How high can a fox jump?
A fox can jump up to two meters in height. Therefore, it is recommended to put a fence in those places that you want to protect from the animal. The fence must also be dug firmly into the ground to exclude the possibility of undermining.
Do foxes come out in the day?
A fox is especially active, as a rule, at dusk and night. During the day, it can be seen only in the low-feeding period, most often in winter. During the daytime, the animal can go out alone in search of food for posterity in summer.
Does human urine repel animals?
Predators and other types of animals, do not like the smell of human urine and try to stay away from it. It’s also in the list of things that fox don’t like. If you encounter them, you can try spraying the urine solution around your area to scare away these unwanted guests.
Take Care of Your Yard Safety
Now you know different ways how to get rid of foxes. Therefore, you can choose the repellent, that is the best option for you. There are different devices and natural solutions that are effective. However, you have to remember that you need to exclude the possibility of a fox undermining. In addition, do not leave food leftovers or leave open trash containers.
You are welcome to share your experience. How do you scare a fox away? Please, leave your comments in the section below.
References:
- Foxes fact sheet (Waltham Forest):
https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Foxes%20fact%20sheet.pdf - How to deter foxes (Lewisham Council):
https://lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/environment/animalwelfare/how-to-deter-foxes
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