Foxes are a common sight in our gardens. Living with foxes is a joy for many people but for some, they present as a problem. Read on to find out more about how you can either encourage or deter foxes humanely from your garden.
Foxes are clever animals that have adapted well to living in urban and suburban areas If you have a garden, you may find evidence of foxes passing through or even taking up residence. Knowing the signs of fox activity can help you understand if foxes are present. This guide covers the main indicators to look for and how to identify fox presence in your backyard or garden area.
Common Physical Signs of Foxes in Gardens
Several visible signs can confirm foxes have been in your garden space. These include:
Fox Prints and Tracks
Look for fox paw prints, especially in soft soil. They are generally about 2-3 inches long and show four toes without claw marks. Trails between gardens and other areas may indicate regular fox traffic.
Fox Droppings
Fox scat is 1 inch wide, dark, and often contains fur, feathers, or food remnants like berry seeds. Droppings are left in prominent spots for territorial marking. The strong, musky smell can also indicate fox presence.
Holes Dug in Garden Beds
Foxes dig while hunting for worms and rodents or caching food These holes may have dug up or damaged garden plants, They appear less uniform than mole holes
Den Sites Under Sheds or Decks
Foxes like making dens under backyard structures You may not notice until fox kits emerge in late spring Listen for noises from young foxes inside.
Scattered Feathers or Remains from Prey
Feathers, fur tufts, or body parts show where a fox has fed on prey like birds, squirrels, or rabbits. This usually occurs where foxes are living on your property.
Disturbed Trash and Compost
Foxes will raid garbage and compost bins for food scraps. Evidence includes strewn trash, opened compost bags, or lids removed from bins.
Indirect Signs of Fox Activity in Your Yard
Certain behaviors can also reveal fox presence without direct sightings:
Noises Heard at Night
Fox noises range from barks and screeches to yips and howls, especially during mating season. Fox kits also whine loudly. Daytime fox sounds may indicate a nearby den.
Missing Pets or Livestock
Foxes will prey on backyard chickens, rabbits, or other small pets if given the chance. Ensure hutches and coops are secure.
Damaged Garden Fruit or Vegetables
Foxes forage on fallen fruit or ripe vegetables. You may find half-eaten or shredded produce with bite marks.
Changes in Behavior of Pets
Pets like cats and small dogs may become wary of going outside if they sense a fox. Their behavior change could imply fox presence.
Preventing Foxes in Your Garden
Once you confirm fox activity, you can take steps to discourage their presence:
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Remove food sources like fallen fruit or open compost piles.
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Install fencing at least 6 feet high to block fox entry.
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Use repellents with strong scents around the garden perimeter.
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Stop feeding pets outside and secure their enclosures.
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Seal trash cans and bins carefully so foxes can’t access scraps.
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Use motion activated lights or sprinklers to startle foxes away.
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Contact professionals for help with persistent fox problems or dens.
When Foxes Become a Nuisance
In some cases, fox behavior requires further intervention:
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If foxes are killing pets or damaging property, work with animal control for humane removal or relocation.
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Seek medical advice if foxes appear ill to avoid potential disease transmission.
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Get professional fox deterrents or den removal for recurring problems in your garden.
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Eliminate easy food sources and maintain tidy gardens to make your property less appealing.
Coexisting with Foxes
With some awareness and deterrents, foxes can be managed safely:
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Appreciate foxes as clever wildlife, but be cautious interacting directly.
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Monitor pets and children when foxes are active at dawn, dusk, and night.
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Secure trash and eliminate food sources to avoid emboldening foxes.
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Use humane methods only to discourage foxes from your gardens.
By identifying the many signs of foxes and modifying your garden accordingly, you can reach an acceptable balance. With informed action, foxes can be deterred humanely when necessary so everyone can feel safe and comfortable sharing the neighborhood.
Most common signs of foxes in your garden
Even though on many occasions, foxes can trespass without leaving any signs, the reality is that this only happens if a single fox has accidentally passed through your property. If your garden is regularly visited by foxes, there will certainly be some signs left behind.
There’s no definitive sign of the animals’ presence as seeing a fox on your premises, but we’ve prepared a list of some tell-tale signs of foxes in your garden:
At first, you may not be sure what the droppings you see are because their size is similar to the ones of a medium-sized dog. But if you do not have a dog or your dog isn’t the right size and you’re confused, here are a few differences to help you distinguish between them:
Fox droppings in your garden are smellier and often have fur, feathers, bones or seeds, in them due to the fox’s diet, which is vastly different from that of your dog’s.
Fox noises at night are one of the most torturing signs of their presence. Foxes can produce up to 28 different noises. Although they spend most of the time being silent, when their mating season comes, it gets unbearable to listen to them. During that time, two sounds of foxes mating can be heard – the males’ barking call and the female vixen’s scream.
Furthermore, if the foxes give birth to their cubs near or under your house, you will surely spend your nights listening to the cubs screaming and whickering at each other.
If the foxes feel threatened or are attacked, they may produce some noises as well.
Learn more about: Red Foxes
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Foxes digging up the lawn can result in trampled, torn up plants or ripped up flower beds and vegetables. Even though they wouldn’t want to eat the vegetables, if you’ve used fish or blood containing fertiliser, they will dig them up in search of the meat.
Other reasons foxes dig holes in your garden are to look for worms or if they sense a buried animal – either a pet or a vermin. And another reason is that they dig holes to hide the food they’ve caught.
Fox holes in your garden look a bit like those made by moles but they are not even and the soil isn’t as soft.
If there’s a fox den on your property, you may not even notice it for some time, although that may explain the regular presence of foxes in your garden. However, foxes make their dens under wooden constructions, which can be your house, shed, etc.
If you haven’t spotted a fox den in your garden, you will likely find out about it in late April or May. That’s when the young cubs are old enough to start going outside. Well, if the den is under your house, you’ll surely hear their noises much earlier than April.
Sadly, this is also a clear sign of a fox’s presence in your garden. If the fox is living near or under a construction on your property or happened to catch its prey in your garden, you’re very likely to often spot prey remains.
Such can be bird feathers scattered around, squirrels’ tails or fur, even shrews’ remains. Also, as we said, they feed on rats, so you may see their remains, as well.
Read more: How to dispose of a dead animal
Although these cannot be seen all year round, you can see them in the mud or snow. You will also find it hard to determine whether the paw prints are from a fox or a dog. We can tell you a few differences which may help you. One such is the order of the paws; foxes’ traces are in a straighter line than a dog’s. Also, those of a fox are often narrower than those of a dog’s. Of course, the trace pattern and paw print sizes will vary based on the size and species of the animal but these two differences can still be helpful.
Helping foxes in your garden
Foxes are great scavengers. If you see them frequently in your garden you can assume they have already found a good food supply. There shouldnt be a need for any extra.
If you decide to leave food out for foxes, be cautious and never try to make them tame or hand-feed them. Don’t put out too much food, as foxes won’t move far if they can find all the food they need in one place.
You may enjoy seeing foxes in your garden but your neighbours may not! They might bury the extra food, leave droppings or cause other problems in your neighbours gardens.
How To Keep Foxes Out Of Your Yard – (6 Easy Ways)
FAQ
How to tell if a fox is in your yard?
If you are unsure as to whether or not your garden is receiving nightly fox visits, these are the signs to look out for: A pungent, musky smell. A fox smell in your garden. Droppings in prominent places. Trampled plants. Dug up flowerbeds. Holes in the lawn. Chewed up shoes or toys.
What time of day do foxes come out?
Foxes are primarily nocturnal, including hunting during dawn and dusk, but foxes are occasionally seen out during the day, particularly during the spring/summer when rearing pups.
What attracts foxes to your yard?
Choose meat, fish, and eggs to use as bait.
Foxes often eat things like eggs, fruit, seeds, and some vegetables in the wild as well, but these may not be a great choice unless you’re certain a fox is going to find the bait. For example, foxes eat fruit like apples and blueberries, if they can find it.
What does it mean when a fox is in your garden?
Foxes are great scavengers. If you see them frequently in your garden you can assume they have already found a good food supply. There shouldn’t be a need for any extra. If you decide to leave food out for foxes, be cautious and never try to make them tame or hand-feed them.