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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To poison these bloody foxes??

227 replies

curiousgeorgie · 19/07/2014 10:28

Everyday I wake up to rubbish all over my garden and driveway... Foxes shit on my decking and today my doormat!!!

The whole place stinks and it's getting ridiculous. They live in the bit behind my garden because our back neighbours have fenced off the weeds at the back of theirs...

My next door neighbours feed them. 3 times a day from a plate on their decking. Whole loaves of bread and pieces of meat and blocks of cheese...

I just want to get rid of them. Day one when we saw four baby foxes running around our garden we thought it was lovely, but now it's totally ridiculous. I have a 1 year old and a 3 year old and every morning I have to go out and clean and hose before my daughter can go out.

It must be okay to poison them or something right??

OP posts:
WatchingSeaMonkeys · 20/07/2014 11:28

I think you need to contact the council OP - they should be able to assist in dealing with this vermin. They may be able to shoot it, or trap it & destroy it. They'll also speak to your neighbours about encouraging vermin.

Despite the "cutesy" image that urban foxes have, they're not particularly nice creatures to have around.

Don't get me wrong, I like animals very much, but this animal is a pest & needs to be dealt with.

D0oinMeCleanin · 20/07/2014 11:31

DEFRA have never catagorised the fox as vermin, the council have no obligation to act.

OP needs to fox proof her garden.

She could remove these ones at her own expense, but more will move in very soon after. Unless she fox proofs her garden she is throwing good money after bad.

Numanoid · 20/07/2014 12:28

I'm not going to reply to the OP on this, as thinking it's okay to poison them is deplorable.

But Joysmum, although I know they can be pests (and I think you've taken the right approach by installing a fence) that badger is really cute. I'd love to see one IRL, never have.

WatchingSeaMonkeys · 20/07/2014 12:39

DEFRA have never catagorised the fox as vermin, the council have no obligation to act.

But they are classed as "pests" and can be culled....

I'm sure most of the posters on here would be up in arms if a dog was coming into their gardens & shitting everywhere - there's no difference here surely?

D0oinMeCleanin · 20/07/2014 12:44

Of course there is a difference. Dogs are not wild animals FFS. They have no rights to roam like cats.

Foxes are not pets.

What a stupid thing to post.

Yes, foxes can be culled, if done humanely and legally, but as they are not vermin the council do not have to pay for this. Besides which, another family of foxes would move straight into the vacated territory. I'm not sure which part of this posters are finding hard to comprehend.

The only way OP can rid herself of this problem, long term, is to fox proof her garden.

NotBatman · 20/07/2014 12:46

I'm sure most of the posters on here would be up in arms if a dog was coming into their gardens & shitting everywhere - there's no difference here surely?

The difference is the OP would get exactly zero sympathy for wanting to poison a dog, or thinking it was ok. The only reason OP isn't doing it is because it's illegal.

I'd call animal control, they can trap and release.

We had foxes shit on our porch one year. Did it just to piss off the dog. Walked right up to the glass door, stared at him, and took a giant shit right in front of him while the dog was going nuts. My dad opened the door and let the dog chase after him. Last time the fox came that close to our house. I still laugh thinking about it, little asshole got cocky. Grin

They're a pain, but killing them in a cruel way isn't the answer either. Animal control will at least use an anesthetic which will put them down peacefully and pain free.

trufflesnout · 20/07/2014 19:09

it seems that urban foxes have become much more of a problem since fox hunting was banned

Fox hunting never had any impact on urban foxes ever - fox hunting dealt purely with rural foxes. Urban foxes and rural foxes are two completely separate issues with different problems - they're very much removed from each other.

WatchingSeaMonkeys · 20/07/2014 19:34

D0oinMeCleanin

If you honestly can't see there is no difference between fox shit & dog shit then you have one or the other for brains & aren't worth conversing with. Wink

No, the council don't have to do anything to catch the fox, but they may do - some are quite happy to trap & destroy/release, they should also speak to the half witted neighbour that thinks it's acceptable to feed them.

OP when you contact the council, mention that you've also seen rats around the food your neighbours put out - should help.....

Original poster
curiousgeorgie · 20/07/2014 23:08

Thanks WatchingSeaMonkeys... Ill try that Wink

OP posts:
Original poster
curiousgeorgie · 20/07/2014 23:16

Just to clarify the problem... It's 11pm so prime fox time. I've just been to turn off things in the kitchen and have a secret cigarette and there are two foxes on my neighbours shed, one on my shed, FOUR on the feeding neighbours sheds and two in my garden... One right up by my back door until I put the outside light on. At which time it just retreated a few steps. Surely that's too many. We're overrun!! Ridiculous neighbour had put food on the plate four times today that I've noticed....

OP posts:
SaggyAndLucy · 20/07/2014 23:51

She sounds delightful! I'd be going spare!
I'd speak to an independent pest controller and see what can be done.

salsmum · 21/07/2014 00:17

I once knew someone who would leave large plastic bottles with water in on the lawn ...she said it deterred foxes....I think YABVU to just randomly want to kill them try getting a wheely bin that's fox proof! If you give a fox a poisoned piece of meat how do you know he'll definitely eat it???? Possibly he could drop it where a cat or dog may eat it...but then I spos being an ANIMAL they poo and eat rubbish (especially puppies) why not kill em all ?????? Biscuit Glad I'm not your neighbour to hear screaming,dying foxes in my garden...what a wicked thing to even consider!! Angry

NotBatman · 21/07/2014 00:27

Yes, that is far too many foxes. Poisoning them isn't the answer though. I would push for feeding them against the neighborhood code though.

Our neighbors used to feed the foxes. Then it attracted coyotes and bears. Free food attracts other animals too, not just foxes. Though, I'm sure they're out hunting all the smaller animals, you don't kill instincts by feeding animals, they still hunt.

Maybe if they stop feeding them and assuming you don't have an abundance of gophers and moles or anything I think they'll start coming around less and find another food source. But you have to find a way to get your neighbor to stop feeding wildlife. It's really not good for them to give them free food like that, and it can make them aggressive since they're used to people and unafraid, but still wild enough to attack.

RiverTam · 21/07/2014 00:42

I think the best you can do is talk to the council about the neighbours, they are the problem here and that is a hell of a lot of foxes. We have 2/3 who live in our garden/next door's garden and we also have 2 feral cats (our cats) who we have to feed outside quite a bit as they won't come in, but we haven't anywhere like that number of foxes (in the mating season there can be up to 10 out in the street). The neighbours are encouraging them, and to be honest if they are feeding them things like bread, that isn't actually going to be doing the foxes a whole lot of good.

There's no point in hiring a marksman if the neighbours continue to feed them as another fox will simply fill the territory.

Oh, and I though the ban on foxhunting had affected the urban fox population as rural foxes' territories had become so compressed by the greater numbers that they had spread out into the suburbs and cities far more?

plinkyplonks · 21/07/2014 00:46

Any chance you can poison yourself first? After all, your house was built on foxes natural habitat. So now your stealing not only their land but also wanting to end their life too. How selfish.

trufflesnout · 21/07/2014 00:56

Oh, and I though the ban on foxhunting had affected the urban fox population as rural foxes' territories had become so compressed by the greater numbers that they had spread out into the suburbs and cities far more?

There's no evidence to suggest this.

I'm putting this quite simply because I'm tired but foxes live in residences and don't tend to migrate. This is why we have urban foxes, because we build on top of them and they aren't inclined to move. It's also why hunting was actually beneficial to foxes - since hunting picked off the weak ones, the foxes just repopulated for the lost animals (and so, their pack actually increased in numbers overall, instead of declining) as their territory is permanent.

There's no evidence to suggest that rural foxes were 'pushed' into urban environments - and the vast majority of foxes are still rural. The boom in urban fox numbers has come from free food supply - naturally pack numbers would be limited to however many mouths could be fed. When you have free stashes of bin bags left of streets, litter everywhere and people feeding you bread, this becomes a non-issue and the only thing left to pick you off is disease.

plinkyplonks · 21/07/2014 00:57

curiousgeorgie - You'll try what exactly? I can't see where in this thread you've said you have a rat problem. Yet you're going to call the council and report you have a rat and fox problem. You've already threatened to illegally poison them. Reporting this thread as now you've advocated illegal activity and basically fraud all in one thread.

trufflesnout · 21/07/2014 00:59

Oh, to add to that, the reason rural foxes haven't migrated to urban areas is because the territory compression idea doesn't hold any weight. It would if hunting picked off entire packs, but it never did.

Original poster
curiousgeorgie · 21/07/2014 07:45

PlinkyPlonks - can you read? Even the big words?? I'm going to have to assume not because the second someone clarified that it was illegal and they were not considered vermin I said 'okay, I won't do it then.'

There's a number of options on this thread, I'm considering trying a few things. It's been very helpful. Well, aside from a few who radiate stupidity.

OP posts:
Rumandcokeplease · 21/07/2014 07:50

I hate foxes but luckily I live in a rural area so means of getting rid of them are more readily available! There are lots of deterrents that might help but they're not cheap! You could always poised them and dump them on the side of the road so it looks like they've been run over!!!

plinkyplonks · 21/07/2014 07:53

I can read curiousgeorgie - quick google search would have answered your question and sorting stuff out with your neighbours. Good luck with lying to the council about having a rat problem.

plinkyplonks · 21/07/2014 07:57

Oh, and as for radiating stupidity, it wasn't me posting in AIBU asking if it's OK to perform an illegal act ;) Have a good day :D

SaggyAndLucy · 21/07/2014 10:17

yes. because nobody that ever posts questions on MN could not have done a "quick Google search" first! Hmm Hmm

maninawomansworld · 21/07/2014 13:40

Foxes are a 'pest' species and can be culled but it has to be humane.
I shoot them (don't try it in a town fgs..), some people trap and then dispatch them quickly and humanely. Under no circumstances would poisoning be legal as it's just not humane.

In your situation I'd fox proof your garden and have a word with the neighbours who are encouraging them.
Removing foxes is at best only a temporary measure, a territory which is high in food such as yours will soon be taken over by other foxes if the current occupants are removed.

Original poster
curiousgeorgie · 22/07/2014 10:02

Well, the council won't do anything.

OP posts: