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

This episode is the tenth in this series looking at what the UK’s foxes are up to during each month of the year. This time I’m diving into the month of October to explore the behaviour of the foxes in your garden and local area.

So, let’s set the scene. It’s October, and this month marks a significant time of change in the fox world. Those cubs we watched grow throughout spring and summer are now fully grown and referred to as sub-adults. This is when the breakup of the family units really goes into overdrive, and the dispersal process becomes widespread. If you’ve been following along with this series, you’ll know that this stage is a critical milestone in a young fox’s life.

To give you a clearer picture of this, I’ll briefly touch on some important research conducted by retired Bristol University academic and renowned fox expert, Professor Stephen Harris. His work sheds light on how these sub-adult foxes move around, carving out new territories or navigating existing ones, and the findings are fascinating.

In areas with high population density, like towns and cities across Britain, sub-adult foxes tend to move shorter distances compared to their countryside counterparts, where population density is lower. And there’s more: the distance males and females travel differs too. According to Harris’s research, male sub-adults tend to roam further, averaging just over a mile (1.8 km), while females typically stick to about a third of a mile (0.6 km). Interestingly, few foxes of either gender move more than three miles (5 km) from their home range.

Another noteworthy detail is that half of the female sub-adults studied didn’t move at all from their home range, compared to only 20% of males. Why is this? Well, as we discussed in an earlier episode, many younger females stay close to home to play an “aunty” or sisterly role, helping the dominant vixen with her next litter. It’s all part of the fox’s complex social structure, which is more nuanced than many people realise.

What’s particularly intriguing is that the dispersal behaviour varies greatly between individual foxes. Some will simply leave one day, journey for one or several nights, and then settle in a new area. Others might travel to a location, stay there for a while, then move on to somewhere else. Then there are those that make a few exploratory trips, returning home before finally setting off for good. And, as you might have guessed, some don’t move at all, choosing instead to challenge and displace the previously dominant fox from their territory.

One consistent finding from Harris’s work is that sub-adult foxes tend to travel in a relatively straight line, even if that means crossing busy roads, rivers, or other potentially dangerous obstacles. It’s a stark reminder of just how determined and resilient these animals can be.

Now, why does this matter for those of us observing foxes in our gardens? Well, the dispersal season can change the nature of fox sightings. You may notice fewer foxes appearing together as they start to go their separate ways, and you might hear more aggressive encounters as they clash with other foxes over territory. On the flip side, if you’re someone who hasn’t had foxes visiting your garden before, you might start seeing new faces as these sub-adults explore and try to establish their own space.

As we move further into October, the days get shorter, and the temperature drops. With the clocks changing towards the end of the month, we’re less likely to notice foxes during the evenings, as most of us will have our lights on and curtains drawn earlier in the day. However, this doesn’t mean fox activity stops, it just shifts. Mornings become prime time for spotting foxes, especially as the daylight peeks through and we’re going about our routines.

So, if you catch a glimpse of a lone fox moving purposefully through your garden or hear a sharp bark echoing in the distance, know that you’re witnessing a pivotal chapter in their journey. October is when young foxes step into independence, face new challenges, and help shape the intricate dance of the urban and rural fox populations.

As we wrap up this October episode, I’d like to leave you with a nod to a special event this month that’s not directly about foxes but is still worth celebrating: World Migratory Bird Day. Held on the second Saturday of October (and again on the second Saturday in May), it’s an international event that raises awareness about the need to protect migratory birds and their habitats.

In the UK, we’re lucky to witness the migration of birds like the barn swallow, which journeys thousands of miles to Africa, and the redwing, which comes here for the winter from Scandinavia. It’s a reminder of the incredible natural cycles happening around us as the seasons change.

If you’d like to get involved, you could visit a local nature reserve or bird-watching event. Many organisations host activities to educate people on how to support these birds, from planting native trees to participating in bird counts. It’s a wonderful way to connect with nature and appreciate another layer of wildlife that shares our spaces. Keep an eye out this October, or again in May, and see if you can spot any migratory visitors in your own garden or nearby green spaces.

Well, that’s it for this episode of the Fox Repellent Expert podcast. I hope it’s been insightful and informative, regarding some of the fox activity in your area at this time of year. I’ll put any links mentioned in this episode in the show notes.

If you found today’s episode interesting, you can subscribe to the Fox Repellent Expert podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Please feel free to leave a review as it helps other people find the show.

Thank you very much for listening and I’ll see you next time.