Do you have a yard or garden and wonder, can foxes climb fences? Then we got you covered.
Yes, foxes can climb fences with the help of their strong legs and claws. They can scale around a 6 ft tall fence and can easily jump over a fence that is 3 ft in height. They are also known for digging under the fence.
These cunning creatures are exceptionally gifted climbers and can ruin your backyard or garden. Foxes are notorious for:
- Ruining Plants and Vegetation
- Digging holes in your lawn
- Eating Ripening Fruits
- Attacking Backyard Poultry
Fortunately, there are a million ways to outsmart these stealthy animals. But in this blog post, I will walk you through some easy-to-follow and tested methods to fend off foxes.
Can Foxes Climb Fences: 11 Ways To Prevent These Sneaky Animals
Foxes are part of nature and we should ward them off in a human way. I have listed out some effective methods which are not harmful to foxes and are easy to do yourself.
Remove Food Sources
Before placing any barrier in front of foxes, first, you need to think about why foxes are attracted to your yard.
Foxes are constantly foraging for food. And like other garden pests, they will eat any food you leave out in the open, then foxes will keep visiting your property.
Therefore you need to clear all the food sources from your property. Moreover, don’t leave any pet food on the ground, because they are also known to feed on it.
Block All Entrances
After clearing all the food sources, cover every single hole and entrance in your garden. Because these sneaky animals can easily squeeze their bodies into small holes.
You can fix the hole with some quick-setting cement. This way the hole won’t appear in the future. In case the hole is too big then you can cover it with a steel sheet. And for small cracks, that allow small rodents, use caulk or foam.
This way you can make their intrusion of foxes and other rodents a little harder and they won’t bother to visit your property.
Putting Spikes On The Fence
Foxes can mount a fence easily. You can outsmart them by putting some spikes around your fence or wall.
You may think that this may hurt them, but spikes will just irritate them and will discourage them from mounting the fence
You can order strips of spikes that can be glued or nailed. You can cut down the strips according to your desired size.
If you can’t get spikes also put some broken pieces of glass on top of your wall.
Motion-Activated Sprinklers
You can also use motion-activated sprayers or sprinklers to scare off foxes. These sprayers are powered by a battery and are connected to a source of water with good pressure.
They are designed to detect intruding animals and frighten them with a jet of water. These devices can detect motion up to 40 feet.
You can change their position every week in order to confuse the foxes.
However, there is one downside to it, and that is urban foxes, such as that of London, are used to noise and human activities and won’t get scared that easily.
Covering Raised Beds
Before planting out all the plants for treason, you should cover all the raised beds with plastic sheets. You can support the sheet with some heavy things, such as rocks and plant vases.
Also, check out for any uncovered spots, otherwise, foxes will find them and digit out.
You can also mulch your raised beds with plants that have a strong repellent odor, like geranium leaves, lavender flowers, and garlic.
Moreover, it is a good practice to put your plants in close proximity, so that there is no space left for foxes to dig out.
DIY Fox Repellent
Plants with strong smells irritate foxes and act as fox repellents. You can also make a DIY spray from such pants to repel incoming animals. You can make it by following the steps below.
- Put 6 cups of water in a pot and heat it to the point when it’s almost boiling.
- After that, chop off some basil leaves and add them to the hot water.
- Add one cup of geranium leaves to the water.
- In the next step, chop 4 cloves of garlic and add them to the water.
- Finally, put one cup of freshly chopped sage leaves in the mixture.
- Now lower the heat and put the lid on the pot and leave it for 30 minutes.
You are done with cooling down the mixture and pouring it through a strainer to separate the solid from the liquid.
Now you can spread the strained solid and put the liquid solution in a spray bottle. You can spray the solution on different areas of the garden where foxes visit the most.
This mixture of strongly scented plants will bother foxes and compel them to leave your garden.
You can repeat the process every 2 weeks or after heavy rain when the scent gets worn off. This DIY fox repellent will save you both time and money.
Mirrors
Foxes are territorial in nature. When one group of foxes encounters another, they become really aggressive.
We can use this territorial behavior of foxes against them by strategically setting multiple mirrors in different areas of your yard. This will make the intruding fox think that he is a rival territory.
Keep A Dog
Dogs can smell intruding animals from quite a distance and works as an excellent fox repellent. If a fox sneaks in it will quickly confront it.
Foxes do not confront dogs because they try to avoid conflict. Even the presence and smell of a dog are enough to repel them.
If you want to effectively fend off foxes then use a dog breed that is tutorial and aggressive in nature. You can use breeds like German Shepherd or Doberman to protect your property.
You should also properly train your dog so that it does not pose a threat to other farm animals, such as chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese.
Electric Fence
Electric fences are quite effective against foxes and coyotes. These predators get an undesirable shock when trying to get through the electric fence.
But one question that might pop into your head is what if they dig under the fence?
Well, they can still dig under the fence and can come after your birds. But you can have your guardian dogs waiting for them on the other side of the fence. This way these sneaky creatures won’t succeed in their plan to get through the fence and enter your home.
Guardian Donkeys
Another way to protect your farm animals against foxes is to keep a guardian donkey. This option of a guardian donkey might not be common, compared to guardian dogs, but trust me it works.
To pick a donkey for guarding purposes, you should get one that is of standard size. A miniature donkey won’t be effective, because they are quite weak.
Female donkeys and gelded males are both fit to serve as guardians. A donkey that is not gelded can show aggression toward other animals on the farm.
Donkeys can be quite aggressive to intruding animals. They can kick and even bite the fox and can scare it with a loud bray.
Detering With Sound
You can also deter a fox by using sound-emitting instruments. Sonic devices are great in this regard.
One downside of this technique is that loud sounds also intimidate dogs in your backyard. But you can get a sound system that activates only when there are predators nearby.
You can also turn on the radio in your garden. This will make the foxes think that humans are around.
Can Foxes Climb Brick Walls?
Foxes can climb a brick wall if it is not high enough. An adult fox can scale a brick wall that is 6 feet in height and can jump over it if it is 3 feet in height.
Their mounting ability also depends upon other factors, such as how slippery the wall is, and the number of footholds on it.
Can Foxes Climb Wire Fences?
Foxes can climb a wire fence but that depends on the height of the fence. If the fence is over 6 feet then the fox will hesitate to ascend it.
Even if the wire fence is high enough these tricky creatures will dig under it or find another way to enter your home. In order to prevent foxes from digging under the fence, you should properly install the fence around your property.
If you find a hole, then first get a stick and inspect the hole with it. When you are sure that there is no animal inside the hole then fill it with some rocks. This will prevent the fox from digging out of the same place again.
Can Foxes Jump Over 6-Foot Fences?
Foxes can not jump over a six feet fence but they can rise it. They can jump up to three feet and can burrow under the fence. This way they can cause structural damage to your property.
They usually scale fences in order to find some food. Do not leave any food in your yard, otherwise, foxes will either jump over the fence, if it is short, or will try to sneak in under it.
FAQs
Can Foxes Climb Chicken Wire?
Chicken wire is not an effective deterrent against foxes and coyotes. They tear the wire using their sharp teeth and can eat the chickens.
To avoid this, use a chicken wire that is thick in diameter and the mesh size is not greater than 80mm. This will prevent foxes from tearing and ascending it.
If you still can’t trust the wire, you should use it when your dogs and or you yourself are near the chicken coops.
Can Red Foxes Climb Fences?
Red foxes can climb a fence and jump up to 6 feet. However, they are not effective in rising walls and trees. Red foxes have a hard time scaling trees. You won’t see them on treetops. Different species of foxes are adapted to their own environment.
Can Gray Foxes Climb Fences?
Yes, gray foxes can climb fences and trees. Unlike red foxes, grays are better at ascending because of their retractable claws and extremely powerful hind legs. That is why gray foxes are more effective predators and difficult to deal with. On the other hand, red foxes are not adopted for tree hunting.
Final Thoughts
Although foxes can look cute to certain people they are wily, crafty, and trickiest beasts that can mercilessly attack farm animals. That is why it is hard to deal with them as a pet.
If you are keeping a fox as a pet then you need a separate cage for it. Without a cage, the fox will damage your property and other pet animals.
That is why just fencing your yard or home is not enough. Besides a fence, you need a guard dog and adopt the precautionary measures which I discussed above.
