Fox deterrents come in several forms. Our focus here is on humane, chemical-free deterrents.
The most popular deterrents are mechanical deterrents, which physically block foxes from getting into certain areas, and machine deterrents, which perform processes that put foxes off hanging around. Some gardeners choose to use a combination of deterrents in order to cover more bases.
Mechanical Deterrents
Mechanical deterrents are a relatively effective way to deter pests if you don’t want to deal with any kind of electronic device. They are practical solutions that will solve specific problems. They often consist of spiky plastic strips or mesh. These can be placed around the garden to deter animals from digging in certain areas, or attached on top of fences to stop animals from climbing over them.
Mechanical deterrents will help solve specific issues, but they won’t necessarily stop unwanted animals from entering your garden completely. They’re often good to use alongside other deterrents. Also, on the plus side, these deterrents don’t really require any maintenance and they don’t have any batteries that will require changing.
Machine Deterrents
There are a few different options when it comes to electronic machine deterrents. Here’s a run down of each one:
A machine with lights will flash when it detects the movement of an animal. In general, this flash uses bright LEDs and startles the animal, scaring it away. These can act as quite good deterrents, although they are normally more effective when accompanied by high-frequency sounds for pests such as foxes. One of the primary benefits of using a light-up deterrent over other types is that they are silent.
- High-Frequency Sound Waves
These deterrents emit a high-frequency sound wave which is audible to animals but (for the most part) not to humans. It is generally accepted that humans can detect frequencies of up to 20 kHz (with some variation between people, of course!). Deterrents can reach much higher frequencies. For example, some units can go up to 45.5 kHz – a frequency that can even deter bats!
A deterrent that uses high-frequency sound waves may put an animal off from returning because they associate the garden with the uncomfortable sound that they heard on a previous visit. Be aware that your own pet may also be affected by the noise.
- Machines that Spray Water
When an animal is detected, a water-spray deterrent will shoot out a jet of water. This tends to work in three ways: firstly, if the water makes physical contact with the animal, it will be startled; secondly, the sound of the water burst will surprise unwanted animals; thirdly, the sound of the machine whirring and jumping into life can also alarm foxes and cats.
The arc of water can be adjusted so that it lands where you want it to, and these deterrents are likely to be memorable to animals and put them off returning. However, they do need to be connected to your hose, so there is more set up required.