Expert Guide on How to Get Rid of Foxes Yourself

UK wildlife doesn't come much more charismatic - and controversial - than the red fox. This native species is unquestionably cute, and they perform an important role in the environment, reducing the numbers of other pest species like rats and mice.

However, foxes can become a problem. Red foxes thrive in cities, where our rubbish provides year-round food and our gardens make great denning sites. They very rarely pose any threat to people, but they can make a mess of your property and worry owners of small pets.

Foxes aren't classed as pests, and although they aren't a protected species in the way some wildlife is, the law firmly protects them from cruelty — you can't poison, harm or hunt them, and you may only use deterrents that are approved for the purpose. That leaves humane deterrence as the realistic route — and, done properly, it's an effective one. There are good ways to stop foxes spoiling your property without harming them.

The fox problems customers bring us are a real mix — digging up lawns and beds, fouling (the territorial mess they leave), raiding bins, and the unsettling night-time screaming. And the two mistakes we see most are expecting one gadget to fix it on its own, and giving up too soon. Foxes will test a garden again and again before they accept it isn't worth the effort, so consistency is what wins. Here's how to deal with foxes humanely and effectively.

Understanding Fox Behaviour

What Are Foxes?

Foxes are members of the dog family. The red fox, named for its distinctive reddish-brown fur, is found throughout the UK.

Foxes are nocturnal; they usually only come out at night, though you may also see them at dawn and dusk. They're also territorial and will protect their home from other foxes. These animals are highly adaptable and live in every major British town. In fact, there are more urban foxes than there are in the countryside.

What Do Foxes Eat?

Like dogs - and humans - foxes are omnivorous and eat a wide range of foods. In the wild, they eat small mammals like mice and rabbits, plus birds and their eggs. They will also eat insects, worms, and other invertebrates, and often dig up a lawn for juicy bugs.

They also eat fruit and vegetables, and this omnivorous diet means they can live off just about anything humans eat, including the food we throw away.

That's why foxes are so comfortable living among us. The average city generates all the rubbish foxes need.

What Noise Does a Fox Make?

You can tell a red fox by the noises they make. Foxes are very vocal. They can bark like dogs, make a clicking sound called 'gekkering', whine, yell, and whimper.

They also scream. This is one of their most attention-grabbing habits, as the loud screams often sound like a human scream. Foxes usually scream only at night, which makes it even more unsettling.

Why Do Foxes Scream?

Foxes scream for a couple of different reasons. One of the main ones is that it's a signal from a female that she's ready to mate, and vixens also scream during mating. Fox mating season runs from December to February, so if you hear foxes screaming at this time of year, that's usually why.

However, foxes will also scream to communicate and warn each other of threats, and as part of their territorial disputes with other foxes.

The screams resemble a human scream, so they can be very unsettling. Remember, though, that it doesn't mean the fox is in distress. It's just a natural part of fox life.

Why Do Foxes Visit Your Property?

Human homes provide a lot of attractants for foxes, including:

• Easy access to food via rubbish bins, pet food, and compost bins.
• Good locations for shelter, under garden sheds, in hedges, or underneath garden equipment.
• A lack of predators.

Identifying Signs of a Fox Problem

Common signs of fox activity on your property include:

• Scattered food scraps from your rubbish bins
• Dug-up flowerbeds or lawns
• Fox footprints
• Fox droppings

Fox Droppings

Fox droppings resemble those of dogs, but they are more tapered with pointy ends. They have a distinctive musky smell and often contain fruit seeds or the fur and bones of small animals.

Foxes use their droppings as territorial markers, so they leave them in very visible places to let other foxes know that this is their home.

To clear fox droppings, scoop them up with a shovel and put them in a rubbish bag. Wear gloves before you handle the droppings, and disinfect the area with a safe cleaning solution, like a household cleaner or a mild bleach spray.

Spotting Fox Dens

Foxes dig dens to raise their pups, also called cubs. Often, foxes burrow under structures like a garden shed or patio. They also dig in the loose soil of flowerbeds or at the base of trees.

If you spot a fox den on your property, don't disturb it. There may be cubs inside, and it's against the law to block or interfere with a den that's in use — and cruel to put any substance down it. Wait until the den is empty (cubs are usually independent by late summer) before you block it off for good.

Preventing Foxes

Because the law rightly limits what you can do to a fox, the smartest approach is to prevent a problem in the first place by making your property unattractive. Here's how:

Remove Food Sources

• Get tight-fitting lids for bins to keep foxes out.
• Don't leave pet food or water bowls outside overnight.
• Remove fallen fruit as quickly as possible and fence off compost heaps.
• If you have lawn pests like chafer grubs, treat your lawn to remove a food source foxes dig for.

Deny Shelter

• Block potential den sites (under sheds, decking, or garages) with chicken wire or steel mesh - once you've checked nothing is living there.
• Remove thick vegetation and long grass.
• Prune hedges and shrubs regularly.

Secure Your Property

• Repair any holes in fences and gates.
• Use wire mesh or chicken wire to block holes, buried around 30cm (one foot) deep so foxes can't dig underneath.
• Use anti-climb prickle strips on fence tops.
• Motion-activated lights and sprinklers can startle foxes away.

Long-Term Fox Prevention Tips

• Inspect your property regularly for signs of activity.
• Remove rubbish and clutter.
• Fox-proof chicken coops and runs.
• Encourage your neighbours to do the same - fox problems are often shared across gardens.

Humane DIY Fox Control Methods

Use an Approved Repellent

The most reliable scent option is a proper fox repellent that's approved for the job. Products such as Scoot work by masking the fox's own scent-marks, so it no longer recognises your garden as "claimed" territory and tends to move on. Apply it where digging or fouling is happening, and reapply after rain. Browse our fox deterrents and repellents for approved options.

One important legal point: you may only use substances that are approved as animal deterrents. Homemade mixes of bleach or ammonia aren't suitable and aren't lawful for the purpose, so steer clear of them. Natural scents like chilli and garlic can help around the edges, but they wash away and need topping up often — and because urban foxes are largely habituated to human scent, "human hair" and "predator urine" remedies rarely achieve much.

Motion-Activated Deterrents

Motion-activated sprinklers, which release a sudden harmless burst of water when a fox approaches, are among the more effective humane deterrents — the surprise is something foxes dislike and don't easily get used to. Motion-activated lights can help too, as foxes prefer the cover of darkness.

Where Ultrasonic Devices Fit

Ultrasonic devices are one of several deterrents worth having in the mix. Where people go wrong is pinning everything on a single gadget — buying one, switching it on, and expecting the problem to vanish. Used as part of a combined approach, alongside proofing, an approved repellent and a motion-activated sprinkler, an ultrasonic unit adds another layer of pressure on the fox. The key is simply not to rely on it on its own — like any one deterrent, it works best as part of the wider plan.

Sound and Visual Scarers

Foxes dislike sudden noise and the sense that people are about, so some people have success with an outdoor radio tuned to a talk station. As with every scarer, foxes habituate over time, so vary your approach and don't depend on any one device alone.

Set Up Fox-Proof Boundaries

The best long-term answer is simply to keep foxes out. Use solid weld-mesh or chicken wire to fence off sheds, compost bins and chicken coops, and bury it at least 30cm (one foot) underground so foxes can't dig beneath it. For protecting crops, use rigid mesh with holes around 4cm rather than loose, flexible netting, which wildlife can become tangled in.

What to Do If a Fox Comes Into Your House

Occasionally a fox will wander indoors through an open door, patio door or cat flap, usually at night and almost always looking for food. It's unsettling, but the fox is far more frightened than you are, and it's easily handled if you stay calm.

• Don't chase or corner it. A cornered fox may panic, and a frightened animal with no way out is the one situation where it might nip or scratch to escape.
• Open a clear exit to the outside - a door or patio doors - and put the outside light on so the way out is obvious.
• Encourage it out gently from behind. Give it plenty of room, then make a little noise or clap softly to move it towards the open door. Most foxes leave within a minute or two.
• Move pets and children to another room first, and never try to pick the fox up or grab it.
• If it won't leave, seems injured, or has got stuck, call the RSPCA or a professional for advice rather than forcing the issue.

Afterwards, the simplest way to stop it happening again is to keep doors and cat flaps shut overnight (or fit a microchip-activated cat flap) and to clear away any food smells that drew the fox in.

Foxes, Cats and Dogs: Keeping Pets Safe

The reassuring news for most pet owners is that foxes and household pets generally give each other a wide berth.

Cats: an adult cat is more than a fox wants to take on, and the two usually ignore or avoid one another - it's common to see them sharing a garden uneasily but without conflict. Very young kittens are best kept in at night, but attacks on cats are rare.

Dogs: with most dogs, foxes keep their distance and will run rather than confront one. Small and toy breeds are the real exception, though - a Yorkshire terrier, chihuahua, miniature dachshund or similar is within the size range a fox may see as prey, and attacks on small dogs do happen, particularly with bold urban foxes or a vixen defending cubs. If you have a small dog, don't leave it out in the garden unsupervised, especially after dark or during cub season, and go out with it at night rather than letting it out alone. Larger dogs are at very little risk.

The pets that genuinely need protecting are small caged animals - rabbits, guinea pigs and poultry. These are vulnerable, so house them in sturdy, properly fox-proof hutches and runs with secure latches, and bring them into a safe spot overnight where you can.

One last point on pet hygiene: foxes can carry fleas, ticks and parasites such as toxocara, which is also present in their droppings. Keep your pets' flea and worming treatment up to date, clear up any fox mess promptly (wearing gloves), and don't let dogs eat or roll in it. And resist the urge to feed or tame foxes - a fox that loses its natural wariness is the one most likely to become bold around pets.

When to Call a Professional Pest Controller

Because the law limits what you can do, some fox problems are best handed to an expert. If your deterrence efforts haven't worked, consider calling a professional — they have access to specialised deterrents and proofing expertise. A qualified pest controller can be found through the British Pest Control Association.

Bear in mind the key point, though: even a professional removing a fox is only a temporary fix if the attractants remain, because a new fox will soon move into the vacated territory. Deterrence and proofing are what deliver a lasting result.

Legal Considerations

The rules around foxes are strict, and breaking them can lead to heavy fines or worse. Foxes aren't a protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, but the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006 make it illegal to cause them unnecessary suffering, and poisoning a fox is a criminal offence. You also can't hunt foxes with dogs, block or destroy an occupied den, or use any deterrent substance that isn't approved for that use. GOV.UK guidance sets out what's permitted, and the RSPCA is clear that the humane and lasting answer is to remove whatever is attracting foxes rather than the fox itself.

FAQs: Getting Rid of Foxes

Do ultrasonic fox repellers actually work?

Best as part of a combined approach, not on their own — relying on a single gadget is the mistake we see most. Used as one layer alongside the measures that do the heavy lifting — an approved repellent, a motion-activated sprinkler, food removal and proofing — an ultrasonic device adds to the overall pressure on the fox. Just don't expect it to clear the problem by itself.

Why do foxes scream at night?

Mostly mating. Fox mating season runs from December to February, when vixens scream to signal they're ready and during mating itself, alongside territorial calls to other foxes. It sounds alarmingly like a human scream, but the fox isn't in distress, and it dies down as the season passes.

Are foxes dangerous to children or pets?

Rarely to people — there are no records of red foxes killing a person, and they tend to flee from humans. Pets are more nuanced. Cats and larger dogs are generally fine, as foxes avoid them. But small and toy dog breeds (think Yorkshire terrier or chihuahua) and small caged animals like rabbits, guinea pigs and poultry are genuinely at risk — attacks do happen — so supervise small dogs outdoors, especially after dark and in cub season, and keep caged pets in secure, fox-proof housing.

What smells deter foxes?

An approved repellent (such as Scoot) that masks their scent-marks is the most effective scent-based option. Chilli and garlic can help at the edges but wash off and need frequent reapplying. Human hair and "predator urine" remedies do little, because urban foxes are thoroughly used to human scent.

Is it illegal to kill or remove a fox?

You must not poison, harm or cause suffering to a fox, or hunt one with dogs — these are criminal offences. Lethal control isn't a DIY option, and crucially it doesn't work in the long run: remove one fox and another simply claims the empty territory. Humane deterrence is the route that actually keeps them away.

How do I stop foxes digging and fouling my garden?

Remove the food drawing them in, apply an approved repellent where they dig or foul (reapplying after rain), add a motion-activated sprinkler, and proof den sites and fence lines. Then keep it up — foxes test a garden repeatedly, so give it 2–3 weeks of consistent effort before you expect them to give up.

Final Thoughts

Because of the strict and sensible laws protecting foxes from cruelty, the only genuinely effective route is to make your property unattractive to them. Understanding fox behaviour helps you think like a fox and remove the attractants — food and good denning sites — that brought it in.

Above all, be consistent. Foxes are persistent and will test a garden several times before moving on, so the people who succeed are the ones who keep their deterrence going rather than trying something for a few days and stopping. Remember, too, that removing a fox rarely solves anything on its own — change the conditions and the problem leaves with it.

At PestBuddy, we're here to empower you with effective, fast and easy-to-use DIY fox control products. Explore our range of products to take control of your pest problems with confidence.