Hi Folks I am being tortured by what seems to be a 'plague' of foxes in my garden in London. The cold frames that we built a month ago were working really well - all of the seeds sown had germinated and all of the onions and garlic were sprouting on nicely!! UNTIL - the foxes decided to have a dig into the soil around the cold frames and managed to get into them .. once inside they completed trashed all of the seedlings and onions etc. I was devastated!! It seems every year they're getting worse around here, they're really bold and cunning and totally fearless of humans. All of my crops destroyed. I am totally frustrated with the situation - the way I feel now - I might just give up - each year we grow alot of foodstuff and it seems that this year its going to be impossible .. I've contacted my local council and they informed me that foxes are a protected species !! just pulling my hair out here .. can anyone help with suggestions please ?? Many thanks Harveymoon :'( :'( :'(
Try using mothballs. They work on cats and dogs. Just place them around the outside of the coldframes, especially where they know they can get in. Also you may want to put some inside the frames, but away from the plants. The ones on the outside you will have to replace as they will melt from rain etc.
We have had to shoot two here for tormenting Blue Bell, we won't shoot the nieghbors dogs and cats though for obvious reasons, I bought a pellet gun (shoots small (pin head size) round metal balls ) this feels like a bee sting to them and the effects are very fleeting unlike a bee sting, but it scares them off well. Eventually they stopped coming up because everytime they got the same results. I don't know how things work in London but here a pellet gun is practically a childs toy and therefore affordable and perfectly legal, but then again this is Texas and almost everyone has a gun...? It doesn't hurt to try. Also a scarecrow with metal or tin pie pans hanging off of it, that bang into each other creating noise, might help. I wish you lots of luck these animals while beautiful are quite pesky and not only will they ruin your garden but they will drive off any birds that would normally nest in your yard, as well as cause a great risk to any pets you have. Found this link I don't know if Trafford is near you or not but it's worth a look: http://www.trafford.gov.uk/cme/live/cme1896.htm
Brush a long-haired dog that hasn't been bathed in awhile. Tuck the clumps of hair around the bottom of the cold frame. Works on several critters here. But, wow, foxes here are extremely reclusive beasties. I'm surprised that they would even venture near a busy place like London.
Urban foxes! Hm, sounds tough. We've got a child's toy that needs manual pumping up and shoots off rubber "arrows". We use it to scare aggressive cats. It might work with foxes too.
Is it feasible to surround the cold frames with a perimeter of chicken wire (or other wire grid) which would fasten to the frame, and then fold outward onto the surrounding the earth? It should extend out at least a foot or more, and could be covered with a thin layer of sod or mulch, if it looks unsightly. This should discourage digging, foxy is not going to want to tear his feet. This photo is not good quality, but I think it gives the gist.
urban foxes it seems to me anything which are pests, now have a special status with the p.c. brigade. foxes were pest when i lived out in the countryside and they're just as bad here (london). I don't like hunting (for sport) but there has to be a way of controlling them. Good luck with your problem, i'd say shoot them but we're not allowed to do thing s like that are we??????????? unless its for fun
I would like to agree with Zuzu's solution. It seems to make the most sense in that you will not need to be on guard duty all the time. Gosh - they are a protected species - what about protection of your livelyhood! And besides how on earth were they allowed to take on "plague" status - If there aren't any natural enemies to keep their number in check then it is obvious that there is an inbalance.
thanks hi folks, thanks for your words of wisdom. yesterday i was totaly p.....d off but have cooled down a bit since, the chicken wire idea seems the best so far. i would love to fire up the BBQ and cook some fox steak, but the laws here protect them. as palm tree said no natural preditors = a plague. the laws we have place us humans lower down the food chain :-? many thanks to all T>T>F>N> harveymoon :'( :'( :'( ps can anyone help me upload an image been trying for an hour with no luck thanks.
Hope these ideas help . . . since it is March, they could be kits . .(baby foxes) http://www.urbanwildliferescue.org/humane/foxes.htm Good Luck with this problem. I feel your pain.
