Hi this is Ben from the Fox Repellent Expert website and welcome to episode 6 of this podcast.

In this episode I’m going to look at the Top 5 Fox Deterrents that you can use to protect your garden from foxes.

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In the last episode, we went over the 3 step fox deterrent strategy, which is kind of like a framework for how to go about deterring foxes from your garden.

As a reminder:

Step 1 – Find where the fox enters your garden

Step 2 – Use different types of fox deterrent at the entry point

Step 3 – Be patient while the deterrents take effect

Today I’m going to focus on Step 2 and look a little more closely at 5 different types of deterrent that can help put a stop to the problems the foxes are causing.

The main purpose of a fox repellent product is to teach the fox to associate your garden with something irritating, unpleasant or unsafe. These distractions will make the fox spend less and less time in your garden which in turn will reduce the digging, pooing, or other nuisance behaviour.

Each of the 5 deterrents in this list humanely target a different one of the foxes senses. How many of these products you choose to use of course depends on your individual circumstances. However, using a variety of deterrents means that the fox will always have more than one of its instincts telling it to keep away and foxes, like any other wild animal, rely heavily on instinctive reactions in order to survive.

So let’s check out the Top 5 Fox Deterrents in the UK

#5 – MOTION-ACTIVATED JET SPRAYER

At number 5 we have the Motion Activated Jet Sprayer.

A jet sprayer is a little contraption that connects to a garden hose and sprays out an arc of water every time a fox walks in front of its motion sensor.

Not only does the aggressive jet of water that shoots out act as a great deterrent, but so does the noise of the mechanism springing into action. It’s kind of a double element of surprise and it can be quite amusing the first few times you spot the fox diving for cover.

Jet sprayers come with a spike at one end so you can stick them into the ground and aim them at the area you want to protect. And you can adjust their sensitivity so that they’re not going off at the slightest little movement.

They can work very well in deterring foxes, but bear in mind that the sprayer won’t just single out foxes, If you’ve got cats, dogs or young children, a jet sprayer might not be the most suitable solution. If those things aren’t an issue then it’s something to consider.

I’ll put a link to a Jet Sprayer and all the deterrents I mention in this podcast in the shownotes at foxrepellentexpert.com/episode6

#4 – PREDATOR EYE NIGHT LIGHTS

Next at number four we have Predator Eye Night Lights.

Predator Eyes are very simple little units that contain flashing red LEDS that mimic the appearance of another animal’s eyes. Foxes are very sensitive to being watched by other animals, especially at night when they’re trying to concentrate on hunting and feeding. If they think something is watching them, they don’t feel comfortable about spending much time in the area and will move somewhere they feel less conspicuous.

Setting up the Predator Eye units is really easy. They’re small and light and should be mounted on a wall or a fence about 15 – 20 inches off the ground – which is about head height for a fox.

They contain a solar panel so they charge during the day and then start flashing from dusk ‘til dawn. If you have a look out of your window after dark and see the two red lights flashing, they do actually look quite menacing.

As the Predator Eyes are only active at night, they probably shouldn’t be the only thing you rely on to deter foxes. Foxes are active in the day as well. But they are cheap, easy to install and virtually zero maintenance which makes them a very useful deterrent to supplement another on this list.

#3 – DIGSTOPPER PRICKLE STRIPS

Coming in at number three we’ve got DigStopper Prickle Strips which I talked about in Episode 4 in regards to stopping foxes from digging.

Prickle strips are rows of plastic meshing that are covered in little spikes and they’re great for putting in flower beds, potted plants or other areas that need protection from digging foxes.

The spikes aren’t sharp enough to cause foxes injury but they do feel uncomfortable to walk on and work really well in stopping foxes from digging up the soil.

The prickle strips come in rows measuring 2metres long and about 28 cm wide and can be installed by laying them flat on the ground and securing them in place with tent pegs. The strips are easy to cut with scissors so it’s straightforward if you need to fit them into a potted plant or an oddly shaped area.

If the main reason a fox comes into your garden is to dig then stopping them digging by installing prickle strips will hopefully get them to lose interest in your garden and reduce the amount of time they spend there.

#2 – SCOOT FOX REPELLENT

At number two we have the very popular Scoot Fox Repellent.

Scoot is a scented deterrent that is specially-formulated to trick foxes into thinking that another animal is trying to take over its territory. Foxes secure their territories by spraying and fouling in prominent places, which sends out messages to neighbouring foxes that the area is occupied.

Scoot takes advantage of this behaviour and starts a scent war which makes the fox think it’s in a battle over your garden. After a while the fox will think it has lost control and will stay away or go somewhere else.

Scoot comes as a powder that should be diluted with water. You can spray it around the entry point and other areas where you’ve seen the fox with a pump action sprayer or a watering can. It’s very important that you keep spraying Scoot every 2-3 days for a couple of weeks. Foxes won’t just disappear after one spray, so you need to keep the concentration levels up with regular spraying to make the fox think this new rival has taken over your garden for good.

Scoot is animal and plant friendly and actually washes away with heavy rain. So that makes it good for your garden but is another reason for you to get out and spray it multiple times.

Scoot is the most hands-on deterrent on this list as it requires you to get out in your garden on a regular basis for a couple of weeks. But if you don’t mind that then persisting with Scoot can be an effective way of persuading foxes to leave your garden alone.

#1 – THE FOXWATCH ULTRASONIC FOX DETERRENT

And finally we reach number one on this list of the Top 5 Fox Deterrents with the FoxWatch Ultrasonic Fox Deterrent.

The FoxWatch is a small brown unit that is placed in the garden. Every time a fox walks in front of it, the FoxWatch lets out blasts of very high-pitched noise. The noises are too high for humans to hear but foxes find them very irritating.

After a period of repeatedly triggering the FoxWatch, foxes learn to associate your garden with the annoying high-pitched noises. As a result, the visits and time they spend in your garden will get less and less as time goes on. In effect the FoxWatch is like a training device that encourages behavioural change and the fox’s attitude to your garden.

The FoxWatch is very easy to set up. It comes with a plastic spike that you screw into the bottom and then press it into the ground in a place where you know the fox will have to go past it. It’s powered by a mains adapter or 9 Volt battery and is made in the UK so it’s designed to withstand the wet British weather. You then just leave it in your garden and allow it the time to teach the foxes to reduce their visits. It’s a good way of automating your fox deterrent efforts without needing ongoing input from you.

The FoxWatch is available at the Fox Repellent Expert Store so I’ll put a link in the shownotes.

OUTRO

That’s it for this episode of the Fox Repellent Expert Podcast. I hope that list has given you some ideas for protecting your garden from foxes. Try a couple in your garden and see if it helps. You can find links to all the products featured in this episode by going to foxrepellentexpert.com/episode6

If you want any more information on how to humanely deter foxes from your garden, please visit foxrepellentexpert.com. Thanks for listening and see you in the next episode.