How to Discourage Foxes

Clean up any garbage or food scraps in your yard or garden. Leaving food laying around attracts wild animals like foxes and encourages them to return.

Place all garbage in garbage cans or bins with a tight-fitting lid. Foxes can tear and rip into plastic garbage bags left outdoors at night. Using garbage cans or bins prevents the foxes from getting to the bags.

Place all compost materials in a compost bin. The smell and easy access to decomposing food and organic materials left out in a compost pile attracts foxes. Place the compost material in a bin to prevent foxes from getting to it while it decomposes.

Avoid using bonemeal or fishmeal as organic fertilizers in your garden. The fox might mistake the smell with that of food and seek it out. Use alternative organic fertilizers like coffee grounds and diluted beer.

Soak cloths rags or wood in a natural fox repellent such as wolf or coyote urine. Place the cloths or wood in any fox holes, borrows or fox dens in your yard to deter the fox from returning to the area.

Dig a trench 1 foot deep around the base of your shed or garage. Place a 1 foot tall piece of chain link fence in each trench and bury it to prevent foxes from burrowing in the ground under the shed or garage.

Build a fence around your yard or garden. Build a wooden or chain link fence at least 6 feet tall around the area where you want to keep out the fox. Build the fence on top of an underground fence to further protect the area from foxes.

Keep household pets indoors at night. Small household pets such as cats or small dogs are prey for foxes. Keep them indoors when foxes are most active at night to protect them and discourage foxes from coming to your yard to look for them.

Keep all outdoor animals, such as chickens or rabbits, in a secure pen at night. Put the animals in a pen with a solid floor to prevent foxes from digging into the pen and place a secure lock on the door.