Urban Shield Ltd
Pest Control Specialists for London & SE
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Urban Shield Ltd |
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FOXES It is a matter of personal debate whether Foxes can be consider to be pests. Below is an explanation to some of the FAQs about urban foxes; and some practical advice on how to alleviate or possibly eliminate any such problems. Are urban foxes different from rural foxes? No. Not only are they the same species, they are very often the same animals. Contrary to popular belief, urban foxes are no less healthy, smaller, more mangy or any less fit than rural foxes. Can Urban Shield control foxes? Controlling urban foxes is difficult, expensive and never successful. In the past, a number of local authorities tried this, particularly in London but most have now given up any form of fox control. The problem is that foxes have been in urban areas for so long that they have reached a state of equilibrium and regulate the size of their own population. A large proportion of the foxes do not breed each year and litter sizes (average just under five) are comparatively small. The moment you increase the mortality rate, the foxes compensate by increasing the number of vixens that breed. So you do not reduce the number of foxes in the area. What you do achieve, however, is a disruption of the fox population, so that new foxes move in to try to take over the territory of the animal that has been killed. Invariably more than one fox moves in; there are fights over the territory and hence more noise and fouling of gardens. This is because calling and scent marking with both urine and faeces are used to lay claim to a territory. On top of this, having more itinerant foxes in an area is likely to lead to more killing of pets and more general nuisance. Not only is urban fox control unlikely to achieve anything, it is both difficult and very expensive. Shooting is obviously not acceptable in urban areas, as is snaring and so only live trapping is left. The fox's reputation for cunning is well earned; it is very difficult to get one to walk into a cage trap, even if there is a really tasty delicacy inside. Catching the first fox may take three weeks or longer. However, foxes live in family groups, with an average size of about three adults and four or five cubs. Catching the second fox is harder still and it is virtually impossible to catch them all. Long before you get near this goal, new foxes are moving in to colonize the vacant niche. So at best, only a very temporary reduction in the number of foxes is achieved for a considerable expenditure of time and effort. Will foxes kill my cat? This is very rare; a survey in northwest Bristol, where foxes were particularly common, showed that they killed 0.7% of the cats each year and these were predominantly young kittens. This means your cat is far more likely to be run over, stray or die from a variety of other causes. Do foxes attack people? No. There is no confirmed case of this ever happening. However, if a fox is cornered, it may bite in self-defense. There is record of an attack on children or babies left in a pram in a garden. So if you find a fox trapped in an outbuilding or similar situation, do not approach it or try to pick it up. Leave it an escape route and it will be away as soon as it feels safe Do urban foxes have rabies? No. Rabies was eliminated from this country in the early part of the 19th century and Britain is currently one of only a few countries without rabies. Will foxes rifle my dustbin? They will but much less frequently than most people suppose. That same survey in northwest Bristol found that 81% of the residents never suffered this nuisance, 16% occasionally did but only 3% found this a regular problem. Even this figure is probably an overestimate, since many cases of rifling dustbins are wrongly attributed to foxes; cats and dogs do it very regularly and perhaps more frequently than foxes. If you are unfortunate to have foxes in your garden, then the following advice can be considered:
1. Remove the attraction. 2. Habitats. 3. Make it unacceptable to the fox. 1. Remove the attraction This method can produce the greatest control over the fox population at little or no cost. Urban fox populations are far greater than those in rural areas, mainly due to the fact that a far greater amount of food is readily available. The most likely reason for a fox to enter your garden is in the search for food, removal of the food source will reduce the attractiveness of your garden to the fox. Suggestions of action you can take: * Keep all domestic refuse in wheelie bins or closed containers, NOT plastic bags. * Only put your refuse out on the morning of collection. * Protect all animals and livestock. * Do not leave food out for other animals, eg: cats, dogs, rabbits, etc. Be extremely careful where you put food to feed birds; this should be in approved containers. 2. Habitats Another reason for foxes being attracted to your garden is that it can provide a safe place to shelter by day or night. This may be overgrown or neglected areas or a void beneath a building. Voids can be protected using heavy-duty mesh (weld mesh). Holes measuring 2" (50mm) square are ideal, making sure that it is securely fixed to any building and buried to a depth of 12" (30cm) into the soil to prevent the fox burrowing under the mesh. 3. Making it unacceptable If you decide that the presence of foxes in your garden is genuinely unacceptable, then there are ways of discouraging them, although none are foolproof. To prevent foxes using your garden, you can try a suitable proprietary animal repellent. A range of products are available from garden centers, hardware and DIY stores but please note only approved products can be used and they must be used in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions. The use of non-approved products such as creosote and diesel oil is not permitted by law. The use of these types of non-approved products can be very dangerous to other pets such as cats and dogs. Prosecutions can result against anyone who is found using such products. Your local garden centre, hardware or DIY store should be able to provide you with the correct advice on the most suitable product to use. Two repellent products that are approved for use against foxes are: * Renardine, based on bone oil * Scoot containing aluminum ammonium sulphate Alternatively, you can purchase a scent neutraliser called Cat Off. This product reduces and neutralises the scents left behind by the fox from its faeces or urine. Any chemical used as a repellent is covered under The Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 where it states, that only approved chemicals may be used. All chemicals must be used safely and in accordance with the manufacturers' recommendations. |
