how to get rid of foxes?

Across the UK, urban foxes cause problems for homeowners.

If you have a garden and live in a city such as London or its surrounding boroughs, there is a high chance that foxes have used your garden or are currently using your garden.

You may be happy with that; after all, they’re intelligent creatures that are a pleasure to look at. 

However, many customers contact us because they are unhappy; piles of faeces, digging and destroying their garden, as well as the countless other issues that come when a fox has made your garden their home. 

If foxes have decided to call your garden home, then it’s highly likely you want to deter foxes.

Well, our guide will share the top tips on how to get rid of foxes legally, safely and humanely.

First, you may be wondering who Integrum Services are? We’ve been voted the Three Best Rated pest control company and provide expert fox removal London treatments. We’ve completed hundreds of fox control jobs, so you can have confidence in our advice.

What attracts foxes to your garden?

To first understand how you can deter foxes from your garden, you need to know why they are attracted to your garden in the first place.

Many people are surprised to learn that foxes can eat pretty much anything; they are not fussy about food, which brings us to our first tip.

Make sure there is no food left out in your garden. You’ll be shocked at what could be counted as food for foxes, and you may have to remove items such as bird feeders, livestock (chickens and rabbits), bin storages, berries and fruit. If you have livestock and bin storage, it’s essential to ensure these are secure, and foxes cannot gain access. Otherwise, they’ll keep coming back.

Another reason that may attract foxes to your garden is soft soil, this is so fox cubs can practice digging. Fox cubs cannot make dens and are even entirely dependent on their mother until around 12 weeks. Due to this, they have much to learn and practice, and flower beds are perfect for them to gain some easy experience digging. We strongly recommend proofing the flower beds from foxes by using our professional mesh.

When inspecting an area for foxes, we also look for reliable access to a water source. Foxes often pick gardens that have a pond or some water supply nearby. Therefore, we strongly recommend covering any pond and making access to water pipes impossible to deter foxes.

Finally, general garden tidiness helps to keep foxes away. For example, if your garden is overgrown with shrubbery and bushes, foxes will likely feel safe with the abundance of coverage.

How to stop foxes digging in your garden

If all you’re concerned about is foxes digging in your garden, you can take steps to prevent this from happening. 

More often than not, fox digging is the result of them looking for food. The food may be in the form of worms, bugs or small insects for them to eat. 

Many customers we talk to complain about large holes being dug in and around their property. If this is the case, there may be old food or animal remains buried under the soil that the fox is searching for. Yes, their smell is really that good.

To stop foxes from digging holes in your garden, your first option should be to proof the area. Contact our expert team on 0204 566 5522 to discuss the proofing methods available for fox control or to buy our professional Fox Repellent.

If proofing fails, the next step would be to offer humane fox removal using traps and culling. It would help if you only allowed this to be done by a trained professional. There are health risks and many laws to maintain when dispatching foxes.

What do foxes hate?

Foxes are very timid animals, and if they don’t feel safe in the area they have their den, they are very likely to move on and find a different location. 

If you’re constantly hearing foxes in your garden at night, a simple tip to scare them would be to shout at them as they will not like being confronted. Unexpected loud noises are a pet hate of foxes, and it will make them feel unsafe.

Furthermore, a tip we’ve found to be highly influential over our years of controlling foxes across London is to have motion-activated lights or sprinklers. When foxes enter your garden, you’ll hit them with water or flashing lights; both of these sudden noises and unexpected items will scare the fox. However, we must point out that it has been known for foxes to become accustomed to this happening. Therefore we wouldn’t recommend relying on this method by itself.

Finally, foxes have a strong sense of smell and hate certain smells. You can take advantage of this sense of smell to help get rid of foxes from your garden and home. We recommend trying some home remedies and to spray vinegar around your garden, across plants, soil, around and underneath your shed. Other smells that foxes are known to hate include male fox urine, foxes mark their territory, so if they can smell another fox on the premises, they tend not to enter. There are many DIY solutions available online for this. However, this is not a permanent solution and once you stop spraying the fox will return.

How to get rid of foxes

Now that we’ve discussed the best methods to repel foxes and what foxes hate, you should understand the steps needed to get rid of foxes.

But we’re going to make it even easier for you and give you a numbered list of items to work through.

1. Make your garden less attractive. Foxes will only come into your garden and home if the area allows them to meet one of their needs. Food, water, safety and shelter all need to be removed to deter foxes from your property.
2. Spray your garden with fox repellents. There are different options available for this. However, we recommend buying our professional grade Fox Repellent; please call us on 0204 566 5522 if you need more info on our repellent.
3. Attempt to scare foxes from your property. Foxes hate to be in areas they do not feel safe. Utilise motion-sensor water sprays and sounds to scare them from your property.
4. Fox proof the area. Using mesh and wire over areas foxes have been using will stop them from accessing your property. Make sure to use strong, high-quality material as foxes are known to chew through cheaper products.
5. Please leave it to the professionals. We’ve found that DIY solutions only have a limited impact. Live trapping foxes is an option that should only be attempted by a professional fox removal company like ourselves. We’re also knowledgeable on the laws behind foxes, so we know what we can and can’t do when removing foxes. If you’d like a free quote, open our live chat or contact us on 0204 566 5522.

Fox laws in the UK

When learning how to get rid of foxes, it’s essential that you understand the laws behind fox control.

Failure to follow the law could land you with a fine of £5,000 and a jail sentence of up to 6 months. 

Source: gov.uk.

If you’ve found a den in your home, you must not block or destroy it. The reason is that it’s hard to know if foxes are still inside as they can go deep underground. Therefore, blocking the hole could trap the fox in without any method to get out again. Furthermore, poisons are completely off-limit for foxes.

You can dispatch foxes using a suitable firearm and ammunition. However, depending on your area and if you’re in an urban place, you may need to inform local authorities that the shoot will take place.

Professional fox control

Methods used at Integrum include humane culling.

Our staff are highly trained. Any staff member who undertakes a fox removal job will have the RSPH Level 2 award in pest management and be certified by British Pest Control Association.

We always try to use control and proofing methods first. However, populations can be hard to control when they are using multiple houses and areas as their territory. Therefore, humane trapping and culling are recommended by our experienced team for guaranteed results.

So now you know how to get rid of foxes. Let’s not beat around the bush; foxes are crafty and intelligent, making them hard to control for an untrained professional. Furthermore, with the many laws that protect them, it’s crucial that you choose an effective method that is recommended by a professional. 

If you ever need further advice and guidance, our helpful team is available via live chat, or you can call us on 0204 566 5522 or email us at [email protected].