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FOX 

DETERRENCE

The Fox Project, The Lodge, Kings Toll Road, Pembury,Kent, TN2 4BE

01892 824111

Email: fox@foxproject.org.uk 

Web:www.foxproject.org.uk 

Reg. charity No. 1044928

Most fox ‘nuisance’ experienced bypeople in urban and suburban areas fallsinto three categories; digging, fouling

and noise.

  These are all aspects of natural foxbehaviour. Depending on time of yearand location, digging may be to establisha breeding earth, a bolt-hole, a routefrom a to b or simply to locate insect andinvertebrate prey.

Fouling, whilst a natural function in itself,is also a means of marking territory. For

the same reason a pet dog urinatesagainst every tree it passes, a foxcreates ‘signposts’ for the information of other animals, often usingdominant features such asdrainpipes, wall corners oreven garden gnomes!

Because this is part of normalfox territorial behaviour, it iseasy to get in on the act byusing an artificial ‘scentmark’.

  This is where a good foxrepellent comes in.

A scentmarking contestbetween two animals usuallyresults in acceptance by eachof their dominant orsubordinate position in thepecking order. However,where the ‘scentmark’ cannot beidentified and contested, an animal maybecome nervous and choose to avoid thearea. In effect, repellents use theanimal’s own ammunition against it.

Having extensively tested everyrepellent on the market, we regard themost effective products as “Scoot” and“Get Off My Garden”. These are safe,

proprietary mammal repellents and areavailable from garden centres andhardware stores.

“Get Off My Garden” is a generalpurpose repellent, which may be used atground level or underground and whichcan be applied directly onto growingplants. “Scoot” is effective as a foliageor lawn spray where fouling or digging istaking place.

Not all methods of deterrence involvechemicals. During experiments carried

out in associationwith GreenwichUniversity, we foundultrasonic devicesbroadly ineffective,

but a water drivengadget, called“Scarecrow”, has

proven to be very effective.

  The level of advicethat can be providedwithout on siteviewing carries noguarantee of success,because all situations

are unique and a consultant can no moreguarantee to solve your problem by‘phone or email than a plumber can fixyour pipes by telepathy.

Concise DIY advice may be obtainedfrom our Fox Deterrence Helpline. A

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general information leaflet is alsoavailable from our Admin Office. Forthose who prefer professional on-siteservice or more specific advice, werecommend two highly experiencedwildlife consultancies - Humane UrbanWildlife Deterrence and Foxolutions.

But why deterrence? Can’t the councilsimply take the foxes away?

Foxes are not and never have beenclassified as ‘vermin’, so local authoritieshave no legal obligation to act againstthem. They are also well aware there islittle point. Private “pest controllers’who offer such a service often omit toinform you there is no such thing as avacant territory. Remove one fox andanother will take over the territory within

weeks.

Removal or destruction of foxes is, atbest, an expensive confidence trick andat worst, an act of cruelty. Foxpopulations are self regulating. Theycannot over-populate, but will alwaysbreed back to replace numbers lost sincethe previous breeding season. In fact,far from any increase in fox numbers,recent scientific surveys indicate stablepopulations in all areas apart from the

south east, where numbers are around10% lower than they were in 1998.

If you want to get your own way withfoxes, forget about lethal ‘pest control’.Deterrence is cheaper, more effectiveand more humane.

For more information call our Fox Deterrence Helpline on01892 826222. For a general information leaflet call ourAdmin Office on 01892 824111. To discuss consultancyservices call Humane Urban Wildlife Deterrence on 01732

357355 and enquiries@jbryant.co.uk, Foxolutions on 0844

804 0630 and www.foxolutions.co.uk or Foxogon on 07768

903043.