Foxes
- Do not feed the fox. They can easily become dependent on human food sources.
- Never leave pet food outside.
- Never discard edible garbage where fox can get to it.
- Secure garbage containers and eliminate their odors. Use a small amount of ammonia or cayenne pepper in the garbage to discourage scavenging.
- Restrict use of birdseed. Fox are attracted to it and to the birds and rodents that use the feeder.
- Foxes den only during breeding season. Be patient and allow them to remain; the parents and young will abandon the den by the time the young are three months old. If you cannot wait that long, any kind of disturbance, such as loud noises and human scent, will likely cause the vixen to move to another den. Once she is aware of the danger, allow her the opportunity to move her young without threat of harm.
- Make sure the henhouse or other enclosure is well protected. Use heavy- gauge mesh wire to cover up holes in the structures and keep out most potential predators. Since foxes can climb over or dig under fences, a completely closed-in structure is best.
- Install small gauge wire fencing around the perimeters of decks. Spray an ammonia/water solution under the deck; strategically place mothballs around the area.
- Trapping is not a good idea. Foxes mate for life, and it is almost a certainty that only one of the mated pair will be caught. Foxes are also territorial; if you trap successfully, other individuals will move into the area.
- Pick that fruit as soon as it ripens.
- Battery operated flashing lights, tape recorded human noises, scattered moth balls and ammoniasoaked rags strategically placed may deter foxes from entering your yard.
- Avoid using pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
- Do home repairs in the fall. This will prevent nursing babies with vixen from being trapped inside.
- Clear brush piles from your property.
- Burying wire or cement blocks around the bottom of a fence will discourage digging. If you do not mind sharing your space with Gray foxes, enjoy observing them with binoculars when they visit. Watch for movement along hedges, fences, bushes lining streams, and other places where a fox would feel comfortable with cover close by. Foxes living in areas where hunting is forbidden tend to be less shy.
