I tried 5 hacks to repel foxes from my garden – wee was useless but a 80p hacked worked so well they haven’t returned
FOXES will do whatever they want, and that includes coming into your garden whenever they please.
While it might not seem like a big issue to many, foxes can do damage to the plants in your garden and create a mess.
Thankfully, gardening experts have revealed their top hacks to keep them out for good – and one costs as little as 40p.
These irritating pests are a real nuisance for millions of households across the UK – and my Surrey-based home has, unfortunately, fallen victim to them too.
And no, I don’t have just one or two foxes that come in and out of my garden.
In fact, there’s a whole family of them, with sometimes seven (yes, you heard that correctly), at a time, chilling, playing and digging up my lawn.
Not only does it drive me and my mum mad, but my dog can’t stand them either.
And it’s even got so bad, that their horrendous screaming noises (you know the ones I’m talking about) are keeping me up at night, so much so that I find myself closing my windows, even during the UK heatwave.
Of course, there are a number of fox repellents on the market that promise to work magic.
But I love a challenge (and I’m also saving money wherever possible), so I decided to see once and for all – do the hacks going viral on social media actually work? Or are they a total waste of your time?
Not only did I get my man to wee all over the back of my garden (I wish I was joking), where the cubs often enter, but I also splashed out on a posh gadget too.
In addition to this, I tried out three super simple, and cheap, tips – which you may already have in your kitchen cupboard.
Here’s how it went…
Wee-d you believe it?
It might sound mad, but I’m so desperate for a fox-free garden, that I decided to get my boyfriend involved.
I roped him into helping me out, and the look on his face when I told him he needed to wee in my garden was priceless.
According to BC Pest Control, using your own urine, particularly a man’s urine, if you’re comfortable enough with it, can deter foxes.
It sounds strange, but the experts revealed that using urine to ‘mark your territory’ can deter foxes from entering your garden.
So I asked my boyfriend to help me out, and he kindly did a cheeky wee at the back of my garden.
Common garden pests
Common pests in the garden don’t need to be a cause for alarm. If you can identify them, you can work on getting rid of them and preventing them from returning.
Aphids (Greenfly, Blackfly)
Aphids are extremely common and can impact plant growth. They have tiny soft pear-shaped bodies, and are usually green or black. You may spot them clustered on the stem of soft shoots – look under leaves in particular – or may find a sticky substance on your plants that gives away aphids have been there sucking at the sap.
Whitefly
These small white-winged insects are related to aphids, at just 1 or 2 mm in length, and look very much like white moths as adults. They can be found on the underside of leaves, preferring younger, fresher leaves. They fly in clusters when you disturb them. Their lifecycle is only three weeks long, which means an infestation can occur very rapidly.
Slugs
An unmissable, squashy-looking body plus small sensory tentacles on its head. Slugs move along on one muscular foot. They range in scale from surprisingly small to terrifyingly large; limax cinereoniger species can grow comfortably beyond 20 cm in length.
Cabbage Moth Caterpillar
Cabbage moth caterpillars happily make their way into the heart of the vegetables, The caterpillars are distinguished in shades of yellow or browny green with no hair.
Mealy Bug
Mealybugs are tiny oval-shaped insects that have a white, powdery wax coating. There are several different species, many of which have what looks like legs coming from their sides and back end. In their earliest stage of life, it’s entirely possible to mistake them for fungus and not recognise them as insects at all.
However, my hopes were quickly crushed, when literally not even five minutes later, a baby fox appeared.
And not only did the fox come into my garden, uninvited, but just to wind us up even more, he actually sat, on the exact spot, where my boyfriend had peed.
As a result, it was instantly clear that this bizarre hack was not successful, and I definitely won’t be getting him to do it again.
Rating: 0/10.
Buzz off
After the free (thanks to my boyfriend) hack didn’t quite do the job, I decided that investing in a pricey gadget might be a good idea.
I’d read online that ultrasonic devices can work to deter foxes, so I ordered the Zonpor Ultrasonic Solar Battery Powered Fox Repellent from Amazon.
It cost me a hefty £25.99, so it’s safe to say, I had high hopes.
You simply place the gadget in the ground, towards the area you want to protect.
But not only is the high pitched noise, which is meant to irritate foxes, incredibly annoying, and I mean, seriously irritating, I was fuming that it did absolutely nothing.
Whilst I expected that the foxes would be creeped out by the infuriating noise, it turns out that they weren’t fussed in the slightest and it clearly got on my nerves more than it did theirs.
Rating: 0/10.
That stinks
According to Shield Pest Control, foxes hate the scent of natural ingredients like garlic.
The experts advise that sprinkling these foods around your garden will naturally prevent foxes coming near your home and garden.
So on a recent trip to Tesco, I nabbed a large bulb of the stuff, costing me 55p, and got chopping.
Not only is peeling and crushing garlic a chore, but of course, it stinks.
The preparation involved in this hack wasn’t ideal, and even more annoying, the foxes didn’t seem to be phased by it at all.
Keep pests out all summer
IF you want to ensure that your home is pest free this summer, here's what you need to know.
Hornets and wasps – hate the smell of peppermint oil so spraying this liberally around your patio or balcony can help to keep them at bay.
Moths – acidic household white vinegar is effective for deterring moths. Soak some kitchen roll in vinegar and leave it in your wardrobe as a deterrent.
Flying ants – herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, mint, chilli pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, or garlic act as deterrents.
Mosquitoes – plants, herbs and essential oil fragrances can help deter mozzies inside and out. Try eucalyptus, lavender and lemongrass.
I threw a load of crushed garlic all over my patio, and left quite a bit of the stinky stuff where they would often enter my garden, but within hours, the foxes had returned as normal.
Although I got a couple of hours of peace from them, that’s not quite enough considering the smell that came with it.
Rating: 3/10.
Getting spicey
Similar to garlic, Shield Pest Control claimed that foxes are also sensitive to cayenne pepper.
They explained that the chilli pepper produces a ‘potent’ smell that will repel foxes.
The pros advised that you can either sprinkle some in the garden or boil up a chilli pepper with some garlic cloves before blending the mixture and spraying it around your plants.
I went for the easy option, and sprinkled half a tub of the £1 spice on my patio.
Although my patio is now a ghastly bright red, I have to say, it’s worked.
Whilst there are many sneaky entrances in my garden that the foxes somehow manage to crawl through, the pesky animals haven’t returned through the left side of my garden, which is where I sprinkled the cayenne pepper.
As a result, I’m pretty impressed with this super simple trick. However, my mum wasn’t best pleased to see that I’d changed the colour of our patio.
But thinking long term, as soon as it rains, I’m sure the seasoning will be quickly washed away, so I’m not totally convinced this hack is going to prove effective in the long run.
Rating: 6/10.
Get pouring
Whilst I love a bit of vinegar on my fish and chips, over the years while writing about different fox-banishing hacks for Fabulous, the one trick I’ve come across over and over again is using cupboard essentials, in particular, white vinegar, to banish them for good.
Gardening expert at the Express, Chris Bonnett revealed the effectiveness of vinegar (malt and cider also work too) for repelling foxes.
He said: “Blocking exits and entrances and using natural ingredients to deter them like white vinegar are just a few ways to keep these animals out.”
Placing small plates of vinegar around your garden could be enough to keep them out for good.
Tips for keeping pests from your garden
- Plant companion plants such as peppermint to repel rats.
- Place Garden Netting Pest Barrier, over your flowerbeds.
- Fill open-top containers with beer and place in soil to repel slugs.
- Spray plants with Neem Oil, to repel ants, flies, and spiders.
- Dust your flowerbeds with Diatomaceous Earth.
- Mix 1 tablespoon dish soap, 10 drops peppermint oil, and 4 cups water and spray on flowerbeds.
- Place eggshells around your plants to protect from slugs and snails.
So I got myself a bottle of the stuff, which you can nab for as cheap as 40p, and poured it all over the back of my garden.
As many of you will know, the stuff absolutely stinks, which is less than ideal.
But despite the nasty smell, I have to say, it worked.
I carefully watched out of my window and I have barely seen the foxes since, and after years of them entering my garden, I’m revealed.
Despite this though, my patio does still smell of the stuff, and similar to the cayenne pepper, I’m dreading the moment it rains and washes it all away.
Rating: 8/10.
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