Homeowners often wonder if foxes can bypass fences. Understanding their physical abilities and motivations is important for managing their presence around residential areas. This article explores how foxes interact with common garden boundaries.
Fox Climbing Abilities
Grey foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) possess notable climbing abilities. Unique among canids, grey foxes have semi-retractable claws, allowing them to grip surfaces effectively, similar to a cat. This adaptation, combined with strong hind legs and a flexible body, enables them to ascend trees, fences, and other vertical structures. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), while also agile, are generally less adept climbers than their grey counterparts, typically relying more on jumping or finding weak points.
Grey foxes readily climb fences like chain-link, wire mesh, or wood with horizontal slats that provide footholds. They also scale stacked stone walls or other rough surfaces. Grey foxes have been observed climbing vertical fences exceeding 6 feet, with some reports suggesting capabilities up to 8 feet. Their climbing technique often involves using their claws to grip and their strong legs to push upwards, sometimes even wrapping their bodies around narrow posts.
Why Foxes Bypass Fences
Foxes bypass fences primarily in search of food and shelter. Residential yards offer prey like rodents, birds, or insects, along with fallen fruit or unsecured pet food. They also seek secluded spots for resting or establishing a den, particularly during breeding seasons. Establishing territory and escaping threats, such as domestic animals, also motivates foxes to cross property lines.
Beyond climbing, foxes employ several other strategies to navigate around fences. Digging is a common method; foxes are natural burrowers and quickly excavate soil beneath a fence line. They create tunnels large enough to slip through, sometimes in minutes, especially in soft earth. Foxes also exploit small gaps or weaknesses in a fence, squeezing through surprisingly narrow openings as small as 4 inches due to their flexible bodies. Low fences or obstacles may be jumped over, as both red and grey foxes clear heights of 3 to 4 feet with a running start.
Securing Your Property from Foxes
To deter foxes, modify fences to prevent both climbing and digging. For climbable fences, add an outward-angled overhang of wire mesh (18-24 inches wide) at the top to make it difficult for foxes to gain purchase. Using smooth materials like sheet metal or polycarbonate panels on lower sections of wooden fences also eliminates footholds. Installing electric wires along the top or bottom, designed for wildlife deterrence, provides an additional barrier.
To prevent digging, bury wire mesh or hardware cloth at least 12-18 inches deep along the fence line. Alternatively, create an “L-foot” by bending the bottom 12 inches of mesh outward at a 90-degree angle and burying it flush with the ground to deter digging. Beyond physical barriers, remove attractants like unsecured garbage, pet food, and fallen fruit to reduce a yard’s appeal. Clearing dense brush piles or overgrown areas eliminates potential hiding or denning spots, making the property less desirable for foxes.