Foxes are wild animals that live all over the world. While they are generally a bit elusive, many homeowners find foxes wandering into their yards. If you’ve noticed foxes around your property, you may be wondering what it is exactly that attracts them. There are several potential reasons that foxes may be drawn to your yard. Understanding what attracts them can help you take steps to deter them if you want to keep foxes away.
Food sources attract foxes
One of the main reasons foxes will come into your yard is due to the availability of food. Foxes are omnivores and will eat both meat and plants. If you have pets, livestock, bird feeders or gardens on your property, these can all be attractive food sources to foxes:
| Food Source | Why It Attracts Foxes |
|---|---|
| Pet food | Dog and cat food left outside is an easy meal for foxes. They are especially attracted to moist or wet cat food. |
| Livestock and poultry | Chickens, ducks, and other small livestock are prey for foxes. They may hunt them at night. |
| Bird feeders | Foxes will eat bird seed and also hunt the birds that come to feeders. |
| Fruits and vegetables | Foxes will eat fallen fruit from trees and raid vegetable gardens. |
| Trash | Unsecured garbage cans allow foxes to scavenge for scraps. |
| Compost piles | These can attract all kinds of critters, including foxes looking for food. |
If you make any of these food sources readily available, then foxes are likely to take advantage. Their excellent sense of smell allows them to sniff out food, even if it’s sealed or hidden. Taking steps to remove these attractants by storing pet food indoors, locking up livestock at night, cleaning around bird feeders, and securing compost piles can help make your yard less appealing.
Good habitat
In addition to food, foxes are also drawn to yards that provide good habitats for them to live and raise their young. Foxes are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere in a range of habitats including forests, grasslands, mountains, and suburban areas. While they prefer more natural environments with plenty of vegetation, it’s not unusual for red foxes and gray foxes to den and thrive close to human development.
Your yard may appeal to foxes as habitat if it has:
- Dense vegetation and brush piles they can hide in
- Sheds, decks or porches that provide cover and den sites
- Tree stumps, rocks, or logs they can den in
- Ample water from ponds, creeks, or pet dishes
- Connectivity to trails, greenbelts, or parks
Foxes are very adaptable and can take advantage of less ideal yards as long as they provide basic needs for shelter, water and raising pups. Trimming overgrown areas, sealing up access under porches and sheds, and removing potential denning sites can make your property less hospitable.
Lack of threats
Foxes tend to be wary of humans and larger animals that could prey on them, like coyotes. But suburban yards often lack these threats, which can embolden foxes. With fewer predators around, foxes may view your neighborhood as a safe haven with abundant resources.
Suburban areas typically provide:
- Minimal presence of larger predatory wildlife like coyotes or wolves
- Lack of hunting from humans
- Few aggressive dogs that pose a threat
This allows foxes to scavenge during the day with less fear. Remaining alert and using deterrents can remind foxes that your yard may not be as safe as they think. Motion-activated sprinklers or lights, closing off hiding spots, and being seen and heard outside can make foxes less comfortable.
Mating and rearing young
Another factor that brings foxes close to homes is the need for suitable dens to birth and raise their young, called kits. Foxes mate in winter and the pups are born in spring. At this time, foxes seek out dens that keep the kits safely hidden away and provide room to grow over several months.
Prime den locations include:
- Under decks, sheds, or porches
- In wood or brush piles
- Beneath trees or stumps
- In culverts or empty pipes
- Under foundations
Because suburban yards often provide ideal denning spots, foxes may choose them while raising litters. Sealing up access to these areas in late winter before foxes look for dens can prevent this issue. Installing wire mesh under porches and sheds also deters foxes.
Curiosity and opportunity
Foxes are very intelligent, curious animals. As they roam and explore their territories at night, foxes can stumble upon yards with easy access that offer an abundance of resources. Even if you haven’t seen foxes nearby before, they may venture in just to explore if given the opportunity.
Suburban neighborhoods often allow for foxes to roam easily between yards because:
- Properties lack fences or have short, open fences
- Streets and roads have good connectivity
- Greenbelts or parks are nearby
Yards that border natural areas or open spaces are especially prone to fox visits. Fox-proof fencing that extends underground can block access, while prompt removal of attractants gives less reason for foxes to explore your yard. Deterrents like lighting and noise can also make them less comfortable nosing around.
Presence of other wildlife
Foxes are drawn to yards with plenty of prey available, especially rabbits and rats or mice. Rodents often thrive around homes due to access to shelter and food waste. Rabbits are also frequently found grazing in suburban gardens and yards. With an abundance of small mammals to hunt, foxes are sure to follow.
To make your yard less attractive:
- Remove brush piles and debris that provide cover for prey
- Seal garbage cans and eliminate food waste
- Use rodent-proof compost bins
- Protect any vegetable gardens with fencing
- Use predator urine or repellents to deter rabbits
Taking away this easy food supply forces foxes to hunt elsewhere. Motion-activated sprinklers can also startle and scare away small mammals that foxes are pursuing.
How to deter foxes from your yard
If foxes have made themselves at home in your yard, there are several effective ways to humanely deter them and make your property less appealing, including:
- Remove all food sources: Never intentionally feed foxes, and make sure pet food isn’t left out. Secure trash and eliminate compost piles.
- Use odor deterrents: Sprinkling predator urines or other commercial fox repellents around the perimeter sends the signal that larger animals are nearby.
- Install lights and sounds: Motion-activated lights, sprinklers and noisemakers can startle foxes away.
- Block access: Seal off entry points under sheds and porches. Bury fencing to prevent foxes from digging underneath.
- Scare them away: Making loud noises, spraying water, or throwing tennis balls toward foxes reinforces your yard is unsafe.
- Bring pets in at night: foxes are more likely to hunt small outdoor pets like rabbits, chickens and cats.
- Protect gardens: Fencing and netting can deter foxes from raiding vegetable plants.
- Clean up: Keep the yard free of debris and trim overgrown areas to remove hiding spots.
Persistence is key, as it can take days or weeks of using multiple deterrents before foxes get the hint. But being proactive before they get too comfortable is the best approach for fox-proofing your yard.
When to call animal control about foxes
In most cases, foxes in yards are just looking for food and shelter. While startling, they typically avoid confrontations with humans. However, in some circumstances fox behavior can become a concern that requires intervention by animal control professionals:
- Foxes exhibit no fear of humans and approach aggressively
- Foxes appear ill, injured or are behaving strangely
- You suspect foxes have rabies based on behavior
- Foxes are destroying property or pets
- Foxes have dens on the property and are exhibiting protective behavior
- You need assistance removing dens or excluded foxes from an area
Licensed wildlife control professionals have access to humane trapping equipment, deterrents, and exclusion methods not available to the public. They can legally relocate fox families or problem individuals away from the neighborhood.
Fox-proofing your yard checklist
Follow this handy checklist to start making your yard less attractive to foxes today:
| Task | Completed |
|---|---|
| Remove all pet food, water bowls, and bird feeders at night | _____ |
| Securely store garbage and compost in sealed bins | _____ |
| Pick up fallen fruit from trees and gardens daily | _____ |
| Use fencing to protect gardens and chickens | _____ |
| Seal off access under decks, porches, sheds, etc | _____ |
| Install lights and motion-activated devices | _____ |
| Remove potential den sites and trim vegetation | _____ |
| Sprinkle predator urine repellent around property | _____ |
Following these proactive deterrent steps makes coming onto your property far less rewarding for foxes. Implementing multiple tactics improves your chances of successfully encouraging foxes to leave and seek better habitat.
Coexisting with foxes
Foxes play an important role in the ecosystem by helping control rodent and rabbit populations. While you may not want foxes living in your yard, they do provide free pest control services and can be fascinating to observe from a distance.
Here are some tips for peacefully coexisting with foxes in your neighborhood:
- Appreciate their wild nature but avoid close interactions
- Never intentionally feed foxes
- Secure trash and remove outdoor pet food at night
- Use deterrents appropriately to haze foxes away
- Seal up access to denning areas before baby season
- Ask neighbors to also remove fox attractions from their yards
- Report any concerning fox behavior to authorities
With proper fox-proofing and reasonable precautions, foxes can be safely and humanely discouraged from taking up residence in your yard. A few clever foxes may still occasionally pass through, but you can avoid making your property a favorite fox hangout spot.
Conclusion
Foxes can be drawn to yards for a variety of reasons, including readily available food, good habitat, lack of threats, and Denning spots for raising their young. Properly securing attractants, using deterrents, blocking access, and removing cover can make your property far less appealing. Persistence is key to successfully persuading foxes to move on and seek out more suitable wild areas away from your home. With some simple modifications, you can enjoy seeing foxes at a distance while keeping them safely away from closer interactions with your family and pets.