Neighbour feeding foxes

[TrollMummy]

We have a problem with foxes in our garden. They are getting increasingly brave and happily sit in the garden and wander around even when we are out there. They also chew up any balls or kids toys and leave nice stinky piles of poo on the grass. I have recently noticed that a neighbour is feeding the foxes which is probably why they hang around so much. I am very worried about leaving the back doors open in case one wanders in and also worry about leaving DCs in the garden alone.

AIBU to ask the neighbour to stop feeding them?

My council says you can feed them.

The neighbouring council is all for issuing ASBOs to old dears for anti social behaviour.

You can always ask Troll. Depends what sort of neighbours they are. Our next doors said because I was feeding birds (which I loved doing) they'd seen a rat. I stopped feeding them there and then!

Why don't you just ask the neighbour if she would mind stopping for your reasons mentioned? It doesn't have to be an arguement.

I think ask them to stop, the poo alone is rank.
There's a fox currently walking along my fence. I was wondering about leaving my doors open as I have a 2 and a 3 year old.

Do you live near me

Although my foxes have flown the nest I miss them terribly!

I still see Scrap and Russel occasionally so they've not gone too far, but they've finished with 'the nursery' which was where my flat is. Nelson (the chunky black-footed cub) was spotted carving out his little territory under a bush at the other end of the block. (There's an old chewed up slipper there too)

How hard would it be for you to fox proof your garden? Could that be a solution?

Anyway, sorry OP- it's probably not what you want to hear but some people do feed foxes. They are amazing creatures. But I understand the mess factor.

You'll get people on here telling you to lock your children away lest a fox eats them for a daytime snack in a minute...

You can purchase lion poo as a deterrent...

How hard would it be for you to fox proof your garden?

Virtually impossible.

OP, You can ask but IME people who think foxes are adorable and need feeding aren't receptive to their faults.

Tell them that you've seen rats and you think they're being attracted by the food they put out for foxes. For some reason people are less inclined to want rats in their garden.

Lion Poo

I suspect that my neighbour is feeding the foxes.
I am sick fed up of the noise and digging and pooing. They have no fear and walk about whether there is anyone around or not. They don't care if we open a window or knock the window.
The "dear" neighbour thinks "we have stolen their land". Personally I think they are batty next door and they get the digging too. Time something was done imo.

One came into our house a couple of years ago. Yes we have a fox feeding neighbour too. It used to drive me nuts.

I know someone who has been told to stop feeding the foxes, squirrels and pigeons outside her flat but she still does. Seems completely oblivious to the mess and damage they are causing her and her neighbours property.

Motion activated sprinklers are good deterrents. They just need a little nudge to move along somewhere more inviting.

I know there was a highly publicised case where a fox came in through an open window of a baby's room, but it's likely that a sweet smelling full nappy attracted it, and the baby just happened to be attached to it.

My SIL told me there is a charity called the fox project. If foxes are in residential areas and are healthy they rehome them in a more country style setting.

I know the Fox Project and where possible they will always endeavour to release the fox (and they only pick them up if they are sick/injured/trapped/in danger anyway!) back where it came from, because that's it's territory! It would make no sense to release a random urban fox into the countryside, it just doesn't work like that!

The fox population has remained stable since they've been measuring it. The territorial nature of foxes means they stick to their own areas, but if you remove one then that territory is up for grabs, so it would be very disruptive to do so. We've had this problem because the management company of our flats have got a pest control company in to trap a fox a couple of times - it always leads to more foxes trying to take the territory, until it's all decided and things settle down again.

If you don't want the foxes in your garden, you just need to make it less inviting. They will soon move on to another garden in their territory where they won't be disturbed.