Over recent years, the UK’s fox population has been increasingly driven from the countryside into cities and towns. This has resulted in problems for homeowners, business leaders and local residents, particularly in busy cities like London.
This surge of fox problems has led many to ask: Can you kill foxes on your property?
The short answer is yes, you can kill foxes on your property. Foxes are not protected for conservation purposes, but there are strict rules governing how you get rid of them.
As experts in fox control for homes and businesses across London, the South East and beyond, Integrum Services has a strong understanding of the law surrounding the UK. Keep reading to find out more.
What Issues Are Caused By Foxes?
Foxes might seem like cute mini-dogs, but they’re actually wild animals that can be incredibly destructive. These predators can cause issues such as:
- Noise Disturbances: Foxes can be incredibly loud, especially during mating season. As they are mostly nocturnal, they come out at night and can be particularly irritating in residential areas.
- Property Damage: Urban foxes can dig under fences and damage bins as they attempt to scavenge for food.
- Hygiene Issues: Fox droppings and urine can be a health hazard, as can any food waste left behind by the foxes.
- Other Pests: Foxes can spread parasites such as fleas or worms, as well as leaving behind food scraps that can attract rodents.
- Harm To Pets: Foxes tend to cause issues for pet owners, as they may kill and eat outdoor rabbits, guinea pigs or chickens. They may also disturb cats and dogs, and even eat leftover pet food.
What Can You Legally Do To Get Rid Of Foxes?
Foxes aren’t a protected species, meaning it is legal to kill foxes on your own territory. However, foxes are protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, meaning you cannot cause unnecessary suffering or catch foxes in snares that could trap other animals.
Additionally, foxes are also covered under the Hunting Act 2004, which states that it is illegal to hunt foxes with dogs. You can, however, use dogs to flush foxes out of a fox den, also known as a fox earth, provided that the dogs do not go underground, that a maximum of 2 dogs are used, and you either own the land or have permission from the landowner.
If the foxes are on your property and not in a public area, then you can kill them, either using lethal injection or by shooting them using legal ammunition.
To shoot foxes, you will need to make sure you have a license for your firearm, and that you can safely shoot the fox without causing injury to yourself or hitting other animals or humans. Lethal injection can only be administered by a practicing vet.
As such, most homeowners and business leaders choose to work with experienced pest control providers like Integrum Services to eliminate foxes. Our team can safely and legally remove foxes and use pest proofing to deter foxes as part of our wildlife management services.
Where possible, we will work to prevent the foxes from accessing your property, and won’t kill them unless absolutely necessary.
Are There Any Fox Control Techniques That Are Illegal In The UK?
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, anyone who is responsible for a fox, such as someone who traps one, has to make sure it doesn’t suffer unnecessary pain. Additionally, under the Hunting Act 2004, hunting foxes with more than 2 dogs or for sport is illegal. The only reason to kill foxes is pest control. Some fox control methods that are illegal in the UK include:
- Fox Hunting: Any form of hunting foxes with multiple dogs is illegal, even if you shoot the foxes instead of letting the dogs kill them. In some cases, as outlined above, 2 or fewer dogs can be used to flush foxes from their dens.
- Cubbing: Killing fox cubs using dogs is illegal and unnecessarily cruel. While cubs could potentially be killed legally, where possible pest controllers like Integrum Services will try and deter foxes from making a den on your property, so they relocate naturally.
- Poisoning Foxes: You cannot poison foxes, as you may cause them significant pain or kill a non-target animal, such as a cat. To protect pets and other wild animals, you cannot put down loose poison, even on your own property.
- Snaring Foxes: Snares may cause an agonising death, and they may also catch other species, so they are not allowed even on private property.
- Blocking Up An Occupied Fox Den: It is illegal to destroy fox earths with foxes inside them, as this approach will mean that the fox and possibly fox cubs die in a slow and painful death.
How Integrum Services Can Protect Your Property From Foxes
To stop foxes from entering your garden or premises, you need to do more than just killing foxes. You also need to remove anything that may attract foxes, such as unsecured food or bins, and block up any potential entry points.
At Integrum Services, we can safely control foxes and stop them from entering your space. If required, we will kill the foxes, but mainly try to prevent or deter foxes from entering your space in the first place.
In some cases, we may have to dispatch foxes, but we will always make sure that they don’t experience unnecessary suffering.
Our team use cutting-edge fox traps to safely capture foxes and then dispatch them humanely. Mostly, we use humane deterrents, such as physical barriers, to keep foxes away from homes, business premises and other areas where humans spend a lot of time.
We operate throughout London and the South East, so whether you’re dealing with urban foxes or rural foxes, we can provide expert fox pest control.
Alongside foxes, we can also remove other vermin, including rats, mice, squirrels, moles, rabbits, bees, wasps and more.
Whatever pest species you’re dealing with, Integrum Services can help. For more information or a quote, contact us on 0204 566 5522 or email us at [email protected].
