Foxes

Foxes have become a regular sight in gardens particularly in towns and cities. They are remarkably intelligent creatures, adapting their lifestyle and diet to their surroundings with astonishing ease. Although generally nocturnal, Foxes are remarkably bold and will often be spotted in broad daylight.

Encouraging Foxes in your garden.

Whilst it may seem an attractive idea to see foxes visiting your garden, they can make a nuisance of themselves by digging holes, making a noise at night, ripping open bin bags etc. This is all perfectly natural behaviours but is likely to be considered undesirable by many people - especially your neighbours! Sadly such behaviour sometimes results in complaints being made to local councils and action being taken to remove the population.

Foxes are omnivorous opportunists, eating both vegetable and meat products. They have a highly developed sense of smell and are often attracted by household waste left in bins, which they will happily empty across your garden if they are not sealed properly with a heavy lid. However they are far from dependent upon us. If you have seen foxes in your garden then there is likely to be an ample food supply in the area already so it is really not advisable to feed them.

Their natural diet is likely to include beetles, voles, worms, small birds, blackberries, windfall apples and pears, and any scraps that they can scavenge from bird tables or even compost heaps. In fact they are really quite resourceful.

If you already have foxes visiting your garden then they will appreciate an area of longer grass or dense vegetation where they can safely rest during the daytime. They will often find shelter in spaces beneath sheds; in fact these provide ideal locations for digging out an Earth in which to raise their cubs from March to June.

If you do have foxes visiting your garden it is important to remember one simple rule - do not try to tame them. They are wild animals and it is not to their benefit to make them bold around humans.

Visit our dedicated wildlife hub page for guidance on how to attract welcome guests and deter unwanted visitors to your garden.

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  Foxes are omnivorous opportunists, eating both vegetable and meat products.