Neighbour cultivating fox den

[Sunnyday14558]

Our neighbour has actively been getting foxes to nest in her garden. We live on the outskirts of a city so I’m not entirely sure why she’s luring them into a semi detached property from woodland half a mile away. Anyhow, we now have a family living in her garden and the noise at night is keeping us awake. We have two children under 4 and have found a dead rat in their play area and fox poo all over the lawn. The patio also stinks from fox wee so we can’t open our windows downstairs. I literally have no idea what to do as we’ve tried fox deterrents before and nothing seems to work. I want to confront her about it but I’m pretty sure she’ll accuse me of being mean to the foxes. A someone please give me some thoughts on how to approach this? Is encouraging foxes to live in an urban garden really kind for them? I ask because it sounds like they’re ripping each other apart at night with the fighting.

Also to anyone struggling with allowing foxes to co exist
there is a company called FOXAGON who will help move them on , humanely and without resulting to shooting or poisoning
I don’t know their costs but they are very good And have a excellent reputation

Oh ffs. Such ignorance here. Foxes do NOT attack babies. You’ve been reading the Sun again. It’s absolutely NONE of your business what your neighbours do in THEIR garden. Get a hobby.

Yes yes yes!!! 👏🏼

You are suggesting illegal cruel methods. I hope you reap what you sow. Disgusting. You’re what you’re saying the foxes are. Reported for suggesting poisoning wildlife.

Not if the OP's neighbour is already giving them enough food to eat.

And it's ony a matter of time before rabies makes it into this country. I hope that these crazy fox lovers will change their views then.

well where was the food and whose garden was your dog in?

For the life of me, I can’t understand why you wouldn’t just talk to your neighbour. At least as a first step.

Foxes are a native species and are essential to maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Their numbers are rapidly declining. If rabies does come to the UK (which is a big if given the protections we have in place to prevent this), it won't have the result you seem to want. It will cost a lot of taxpayers' money to cure, however.

There is absolutely 0% chance a native species would be culled into extinction because some intellectually challenged members of the public cannot understand the difference between media hyperbole and reality, rabies or no rabies.

There is a much higher chance that foxes will become a protected species.

I would much rather have foxes as neighbours than some of my human neighbours....
On #TeamFox though I don't feed them and only see them occasionally they have been seen in the city centre - welcome to the rats and rabbits round here. Kept guinea pigs outside for years in a Fort Knox padlocked hutch, only out in a secure run while people about and a water pistol to deter cats. Only pet incidents I heard of were kids stealing my mates guinea pigs and setting fire to a rabbit hutch... Hedgehogs more often eaten by badgers as foxes have relatively weak jaws - see Running with the Fox by David MacDonald and Urban Foxes by Stephen Harris, both big fox researchers

Talk to the Environmental Health department of your council- foxes are no longer hunted but they still qualify as vermin- get it sorted out.

They do not qualify as vermin; therefore, the councils are under no obligation to do anything to remove or prevent foxes.

As it is illegal to poison foxes and traps must be checked daily to prevent suffering since they are not vermin, there is very little the council could do anyway, not unless OP is in a council house, then she could appeal to them to fox-proof her garden but they don't have to do this because again foxes are not vermin.

https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/services/environment-recycling-and-waste/pest-control/foxes

https://www.spelthorne.gov.uk/page/1056/urban-fox

https://www.ipswich.gov.uk/environmental-health/urban-foxes

Just so we are 100% clear for those who struggle with reading skills, foxes are not vermin.

Traps being illegal is completely separate from the question of verin- even rats , or squirrels can no longe be trapped legally.

Rats can be trapped, as can foxes, wild rabbits, squirrels, and even dogs if you so wish. You must check the traps daily and humanely kill any grey squirrels you catch, but you can trap them. I have no idea where you're getting this information from, but you are being badly misinformed. You cannot use kill traps in case a protected wild animal or pet gets caught in them, but that has nothing at all to do with what type of animal you're wishing to trap and whether they legally qualify as vermin.

If you don't know the answer to an OP, it is OK not to reply, you know? Or Google, ask ChatGPT, read some books...

Came in from my garden to a fox sleeping on. My bed. I dont know who was more shocked. It happened twice. I like foxes but I didnt want one in my house.phone an expert I thinks its selfish of her but her garden her choice. The noise is awful in mating season but we cant eradicate even inconvenience. Try gox proofing yours. Sorry neighbours can be awful.

@MeetMeOnTheCorner When badgers cause significant damage to a lawn it's usually because they are looking for leatherjackets (crane fly larvae) or chafer grubs. These will also damage the lawn by weakening the roots. Keeping your lawn well aerated will help prevent them & I think you can also get a nematode treatment for them. Badgers snuffling for worms (the bulk of their diet) usually do minimal or no damage, they just suck them up from close to the surface like spaghetti!

Once had a neighbour who did this, she even asked us to feed them when she went on holiday. Can attest to the motion sensor water sprayer working well.