Managing foxes in residential areas requires humane methods that focus on removing the resources attracting them. The most effective approach involves a layered defense system: eliminating food and shelter, constructing physical barriers, and using sensory deterrents. This strategy encourages foxes to move on by making the property consistently unattractive, without trapping or injuring them.
Removing Food and Shelter Attractants
Foxes are highly opportunistic scavengers, primarily motivated by the search for an easy meal or a safe place to rest. Securing every potential food source is the first step in deterring their presence. All outdoor pet food and water bowls should be brought inside overnight, as nocturnal foxes will readily consume any available kibble.
Garbage bins must be secured using robust, locking lids, bungee cords, or weights to prevent a fox from knocking them over and accessing the contents. If possible, compost piles should be managed using fully enclosed, rotating bins, since organic kitchen waste is a significant attractant. Furthermore, any fallen fruit from trees must be regularly cleared from the ground, as this provides a simple source of sugar and moisture for a passing fox.
Shelter opportunities also draw foxes, particularly when they seek a safe place to create a den for raising young. Common den sites include spaces beneath decks, sheds, or porches. Seal these areas using heavy-gauge wire mesh, such as hardware cloth, secured to the ground. Before sealing, confirm no foxes are inside by loosely blocking the entrance and checking after dark to ensure it remains undisturbed.
Implementing Physical Exclusion Barriers
While removing attractants is important, physical barriers offer the most reliable long-term solution by making the property physically inaccessible. Standard garden fencing is often insufficient, as foxes are adept climbers and diggers. An effective fox-proof fence should stand at least 6 feet high to prevent jumping and may benefit from an outward-facing overhang to discourage climbing.
The most common point of failure is at the ground level, as foxes are expert at tunneling underneath barriers. To counter this, bury a portion of the fence material in an “L-foot” or “apron” configuration. This involves bending the bottom 12 to 18 inches of wire mesh outward at a 90-degree angle and burying it just below the soil surface. When a fox attempts to dig near the fence line, it encounters this horizontal wire apron, which deters further excavation.
Vulnerable structures like chicken coops or rabbit hutches require a higher level of reinforcement, as small livestock are a powerful attractant. Instead of using standard chicken wire, which a fox can tear or chew through, the enclosure should be fortified with 1/2-inch heavy-gauge hardware cloth. This material should cover all walls, windows, and ventilation openings and be extended across the floor of the run or buried as an apron to prevent digging into the enclosure itself.
Utilizing Sensory Deterrents
Sensory deterrents work by creating an unpleasant experience that encourages the fox to avoid the area, complementing the more permanent physical barriers. Foxes have a highly developed sense of smell, which can be exploited using strong, natural odors they find repulsive. Scents like capsaicin-based chili mixtures, vinegar, or garlic can be applied around the perimeter or near specific problem areas, such as garden beds.
Commercially available products that mimic the scent of larger predators, such as wolf or coyote urine, can also be used to suggest a threat in the area. However, all scent-based deterrents require frequent and consistent reapplication, especially after rain, to maintain their effectiveness.
Motion-activated devices provide a sudden, startling response that startles cautious foxes. Water sprinklers, often called “scarecrows,” emit a harmless jet of water when triggered, effectively creating a negative association with the property. Bright, motion-activated flashing lights can also be employed, as foxes are wary of sudden visual stimuli during nocturnal foraging. To prevent foxes from becoming accustomed to these measures, occasionally change the location or type of sensory deterrent used.