Foxes
How to Repel Foxes
Keeping a nuisance fox away from your property isn’t easy — foxes are extremely intelligent critters that aren’t easily fooled. The best way to repel foxes is to employ a variety of repellent methods to attack the problem on all fronts. Learn how to repel foxes below.
1 Identify Areas of Damage
The best fox repellent is a motion-activated sprinkler. In order to determine how many repelling sprinklers you will need and where to place them, it's important to locate the vulnerable areas on your property by identifying damage.
Common fox activities include:
- eaten or damaged garden fruits
- missing poultry, eggs or small livestock
- pilfered garbage
- trampled garden vegetation
- denning underneath porches or other similar structures
- foul ammonia-like odor due to territory marking
2 Obtain a Motion-Activated Sprinkler
Motion-activated sprinklers work by seeking out fox activity and startling them with sudden bursts of water. When used properly, they're extremely effective tools for repelling foxes and conditioning them to avoid protected areas.
Two types of motion-activated sprinklers are available, which you may select based upon your property, preferences and local animal density:
| Basic |
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| Hose-Free |
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3 Determine Placement
Strategically position repellents in the areas you want to protect. Some examples of repellent placement include:
- around the perimeter of your property
- at each entryway to your property, barn or poultry house
- in front of a fox den
- inside your garden
- beside garbage bins
Be sure to space out multiple devices if the area you want to protect exceeds the unit's maximum coverage area.
4 Set Up as Directed
Install your repellent by carefully following the instruction manual. Be thorough - each step is critical to the functionality of your device. For example:
- Point the sensor and the sprinkler in the direction foxes will be approaching.
- Ensure your solar-powered device has access to direct sunlight so the battery may remain charged.
- Set your sensitivity based upon the average climate and desired detection distance.
- Check the battery and/or water level of the device periodically, and adjust the sensitivity as the climate changes.
5 Reduce Attractants
Making your property less desirable for foxes to live and hunt in will help to reinforce your repellents. Foxes are attracted to areas with plenty of available food and cover. Steps you can take include:
- storing garbage in airtight, locked containers
- periodically washing out garbage bins
- harvesting fruits as soon as they're ripe
- removing all traces of food, drink and pet food before dusk
- clearing brush piles, wood piles and other forms of cover
- pruning bushes and shrubs
- repairing broken doors, windows or screens that may allow foxes into animal or food storage facilities
Expert Tips
- Foxes are opportunistic feeders by nature, so they're usually unaffected by foul-smelling or tasting ingrediencts found in commercial repellent sprays.
- Foxes are known to relocate their homes if they sense danger or feel threatened. If a fox has established a den somewhere on or near your property, position an electronic repellent directly outside of the main entrance to continually discourage the fox from entering. This should drive him to relocate.
- Periodically changing the location of your repellents may help to prevent foxes from getting accustomed to them or learning how to get around them.
- Using a motion-activated fox repellent is just one way to protect your property from fox damage. To learn more about additional control methods like trapping and exclusion, read How to Get Rid of Foxes.
