Topic: Foxes on the plot

[Old Ace]

Went to check my winter onions which had been doing well, about 10in high, and found a fox scrabbling away at them, it was 10.30 am. Out of 30 onions all of which were growing well I am left with 5. No problems last year and didn't know foxes liked onions but they had chewed into every set, I know it's only nature but " flippin eck"

[pumkinlover]

Commiserations

[ancellsfarmer]

Had you  added bone meal, hoof & horn or poultry manure while preparing to plant? It may be that which attracted Charlie, they are adept at finding such flavoursome treats. I think it unlikely that onions have appeal, the whole plant would have been eaten ,not just chewed.
The urbanised fox is becoming unfazed by human disturbance, and seems to be becoming an established threat to domestic animals such as guinea pigs, rabbits, poultry and , going by the number being reported as missing , cats. The numerous reports of attacks upon infants in their own homes is a worrying trend and,I fear, it may not be long before a tragedy is reported. The recent exposure of one of the "experts" in fox behavour in related court cases has highlighted the "can do no harm" myth as a dangerous understatement.

[penedesenca]

Chewing onions is a new one to me. As said before various fertilisers and soil improvers can attract them. Also a fair amount of their diet can be worms and bugs. The only thing I ever found to deter them was a covering of holly prunings.

[gray1720]

It'll have the gutsache, as I'm pretty sure onions are toxic to nearly everything bar humans, if that helps?

They certainly love rummaging where there's bonemeal, and will eat your sweetcorn too, our bugger didn't even eat the rabbit, much to my disgust, and now I can see me outraging the bunny huggers when we get an outbreak of the things in spring...

Adrian
 

[pratinthegarden]

Commiserations

Perhaps the onions were infected with grubs and the fox was helping you out.
They usually only eat mice and worms don't you know.

[George the Pigman]

Yes onion is supposed to be toxic to foxes (and cats & dogs). It causes a form of anaemia.
There are reports in the papers of urban foxes digging up onions and spring bulbs in some areas so perhaps they are just starving and have very little judgement? Squirrels do the same with our spring bulbs and they are supposed to be toxic to them as well.
We can eat onions because we have enzymes in our liver that can break down the potentially toxic compounds. However there was one fascinating story of a teenager that worked on an onion farm and ate huge quantities of them and ended up with anaemia.
Nowadays I can only take small amounts of them as they give me terrible wind - that's not due to the sulphur compounds but fructans that ferment and generate gas.

[Pescador]

George at this time of year, I'd say
" Whenever you need to go,
Let it blow, let it blow, let it blow"!!

[ancellsfarmer]

George at this time of year, I'd say
" Whenever you need to go,
Let it blow, let it blow, let it blow"!!

But best holler "Gone awayeeeeeeeee!"

[George the Pigman]

Yep Brussels Sprouts have the same effect! Better get them boiling now for Xmas!!

[BarriedaleNick]

We have foxes on our plot in SE London and they generally don't do much harm.  Most of the damage comes from the "playing" in the beds when they are full of tender plants and a mate lost a lot of corn he had just planted out.  However they do seem to deter rats, mice and, to a certain extent, the squirrels, so we get very little lost to them.  They are a fact of life in many urban areas now so I guess we have to learn to live with them.

[artichoke]

Said to be engraved on a Scottish tombstone: "Where e'er ye be, let your wind gang free, for that it was that killèd me"......

[Digeroo]

Not aware of foxes eating onions, the rabbits nibble the tops, and the deer sometimes tuck in.  Otherwise disappearance seems to be down to two legged jackdaws without wings.  Sometimes the hedgehog digs one up.   

[Paulines7]

It was probably just a coincidence that you saw the fox and then noticed that your onions had been chewed.  I don't think a fox would have eaten them but maybe he smelt some rats which could have been the real culprits. 

[Robert_Brenchley]

Foxes are often hungry, and in summer they dig around in the mulch for worms and beetles. Thay's caused mayhem for me a couple of times doing that, but it's the only harm they do. How many cases of babies being attacked have there really been? I can remember one.

[Vinlander]

Foxes are often hungry, and in summer they dig around in the mulch for worms and beetles. Thay's caused mayhem for me a couple of times doing that, but it's the only harm they do. How many cases of babies being attacked have there really been? I can remember one.

Hi Robert - don't you have trouble with fleece being torn to shreds in the (maybe understandable) pursuit of rodents? Or the even less desirable shredding of sheet mulches to get to worms?

This latter has got so bad on my plot that I have resorted to laying down tarpaulin - they can pierce it but they can't rip it far enough to stop it working. It's tougher and much cheaper than woven black mulches and I pierce it regularly enough (to grow tomatoes, squash etc) to let the moisture through.

I do have to cover it with woodchip - mainly for the tidy police - but in this rare case it is 100% worthwhile and the tidyness comes free- because the chip protects the tarp from sun damage so it lasts indefinitely. The tarp keeps any nitrogen robbery away from the plant roots, and more chip on the plot means more rotted woodchip (2 years later) for growing carrots etc. in builders bags.

 Even when the tarp does go I know it won't shatter into a billion flakes like black plastic does (what a nightmare that is).

Cheers.

[ancellsfarmer]

Foxes are often hungry, and in summer they dig around in the mulch for worms and beetles. Thay's caused mayhem for me a couple of times doing that, but it's the only harm they do. How many cases of babies being attacked have there really been? I can remember one.

7 reported cases in South East London since 2002, in Dartford, Tuffnal Park, Hackney, New Addington, Lewisham, Catford, and Brighton. Of course its the residents fault ,for many actually put out food deliberately and many more are careless with refuse bins, waste paper bins with food and the part eaten takeaway.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I tried googling, but can only find reports (lots of them) of one.

[ancellsfarmer]

I tried googling, but can only find reports (lots of them) of one.
Robert,
a good source does not reveal his journalist but, for you:
http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Fox-bit-child-2-lay-sleeping/story-24299262-detail/story.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-125763/Parents-tell-horror-fox-attacks-sleeping-baby.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10363646


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7807232/Twin-girls-in-hospital-after-fox-attack-at-London-home.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10298168

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21399709
http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/10534660.Catford_fox_horror_for_man_on_toilet/.html

I will report on any further reports.