6 Ways to Deter Foxes from Your Garden (2024)

FAQs

What do foxes hate the most? ›

For example, foxes hate natural ingredients like chili pepper, garlic, capsaicin, and a chemical compound called alliinase. Sprinkling these foods around your garden will naturally prevent foxes coming near your home and garden. Foxes also hate water, flashing lights, and loud noises.

Foxes have an extremely strong sense of smell and are particularly sensitive to scents like peppermint oil, garlic and chilli powder. These smells can act as effective deterrents and will keep foxes away from your garden.

Foxes are extremely sensitive to smells, so strong and pungent smells will keep foxes out of your garden if you use them well. They particularly hate chilli powder, coffee grounds, citrus fruit, and garlic. If you can, try to infuse these smells in water and then spray the concoction around your garden.

Foxes are afraid of people, loud noises, flashing lights and sudden movements. If you come across a fox, you can yell at it or throw something in its direction to scare them away. There are also ultrasonic devices, available for sale that emit a high-pitch noise that only animals can hear.

Predators. Young red foxes are primarily preyed upon by eagles and coyotes. Mature red foxes can be attacked by larger animals, including bears, wolves and mountain lions. Humans are the most significant predator of adult foxes, who are often hunted for fur or killed because they are considered pests.

These foxes can easily be scared away by making loud noises such as yelling or blowing whistles, dousing them with water houses or squirt guns or throwing objects such as tennis balls toward them.

White vinegar contains a lot of acetic acid which carries a particularly strong and potent smell. Foxes hate the smell because it messes with their sensitive olfactory glands. You can mix up a water and white vinegar solution and spay your bins and property with it although, this will need to be reapplied.

Tea bags have a strong smell that most cats and foxes dislike, making them an effective deterrent.

A ready-to-use spray, Stay Off Fox Deterrent is an astringent that foxes and other domestic animals find unpleasant. Easy to use, simply spray before or immediately after the first signs of damage or fouling.

Secure Bins: Ensure that rubbish bins are securely closed to prevent foxes from scavenging. Remove Food Sources: Clear away pet food and other potential food sources from your garden. Seal Access Points: Block access points to sheds, garages, and under decking where foxes may seek shelter.

Do garden lights deter foxes? ›

Pol noted that one thing that scares foxes are lights. He said: “Foxes hate light. They will often get spooked and run away if any sudden lighting appears.” Gardeners could invest in some good garden lighting ideas, but there is an alternative option that is more likely to startle foxes – a motion-activated light.

Widely acclaimed as the most effective fox repellent on the market Scoot is a patented non toxic formula used to keep foxes away from protected areas. It works by mimicking scent marking odours thus leading any foxes that may be present to vacate the area in the belief that another animal has taken over its territory.

One effective natural repellent is a mixture of chili powder and garlic. These two ingredients can be mixed and sprinkled around your garden, especially in areas where foxes may be attracted. Another scent-based deterrent is citrus peelings, such as orange or lemon peels.

The family dog can help keep foxes away. Foxes have an excellent sense of smell. They will smell your dog, and it can be enough to ward off a fox, but they may risk it if they are truly hungry. If you have the space, an interesting alternative is to try a Llama or 2!

Although the red fox tends to kill smaller predators, including other fox species, it is vulnerable to attack from larger predators, such as wolves, coyotes, golden jackals, large predatory birds such as golden eagles and Eurasian eagle owls, and medium- and large-sized felids.

Senses: A fox has excellent hearing and sense of smell, and depends on these two senses in locating prey. It can hear a mouse squeak 100 ft. away and will dig in dirt or snow to catch prey. They quickly see moving objects, but might not notice objects that are still.