Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: ber77tie on June 06, 2009, 21:10:23
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Went down to the plot today only to find holes dug ,plants flattened,string bitten through.I can only assume it's the foxes.Really annoying after all the hard work.any suggestions of how I can deter them will be gratefully received.
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Went down to the plot today only to find holes dug ,plants flattened,string bitten through.I can only assume it's the foxes.Really annoying after all the hard work.any suggestions of how I can deter them will be gratefully received.
Looking forward to your replies, I have large gaps in my lines of potato, where the foxes dug up my planted second earlies. They left them with claw scratches all over them. I've also had string bitten but in my case a neighbour said it was squirrels.
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Foxes have relatively poor eyesight and I found that by lining the perimeters with low fencing or rows of plants in pots, the foxes could be trained to trot merrily along the paths en route to dig holes in someone elses patch.
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We have a significant fox population on our site, and they seem to love string, gardening gloves, seaweed, blood fish and bone fertiliser, and insect hotels! I have had all of the above dug up, wrecked or eaten over the past three years....my plot was used as a main walk through for them before I took it over, so once paths were made they have just learned to use them as Eristic says. They still dig in the odd spot by my compost bins but that is about it now! ;D
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any suggestions of how I can deter them will be gratefully received.
Mark your territory. Wee everywhere, fox's hate human scent.
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The foxes on our plot use the paths too. The trouble is that the babbies don't know that this is what they should do. They like to play.We do wire fence everything that we don't want dug up. As for the spuds well we always put enough in to counteract the ones that are dug up.
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Difficult one this one, whilst on my plot foxes and their babes wreaked havoc on my plot,
dug and chewed and destroyed. Found out later that my plot neighbour was feeding
them and leaving out beany baby toys for them !!! :o
Spent a fortune on chicken wire , posts etc -- gave up in the end !
Keep trying you will win with perseverance -- and no dodgy neighbours , ;D
floss xxx
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Mark your territory. Wee everywhere, fox's hate human scent.
What a numpty comment. Foxes don't care about humans, they actively intrude into human heartland. Bump into a fox, clap your hand and shout "shoo" and watch the reaction. Either they ignore you or look at you with disdain.
The foxes get fed every night on my site underneath my favourite oak tree and if I have to make a call shortly before feeding time, I will be stared out by at least 4 vixens all more interested in waiting for a man with a little dog.
Like I said before, if they cannot see your plot, it does not exist and their eyes are less than a foot above ground. A low barrier is all that is required.
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any suggestions of how I can deter them will be gratefully received.
Mark your territory. Wee everywhere, fox's hate human scent.
Only male urine!
Does work, last time I emptied a night bucket at camp over one he ran a mile.
On a serious note, yes, it's only male urine that deters them.
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Oh well ower Tones gonna be busy then.
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any suggestions of how I can deter them will be gratefully received.
Mark your territory. Wee everywhere, fox's hate human scent.
this definitely works for me but i use my husbands (its advised that male urine is more effective). i also find i don't have to use it very often even after heavy rains but i apply it when i know we are in for some fair dry weather to ensure it drys well before any rains come.
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On a serious note, yes, it's only male urine that deters them.
It's complete and utter nonsense. Where do you folks get such stupid ideas into your heads? Piss all over your own plot and all you'll do is kill your plants. The fox will still come and dig holes and shortcut across it regardless of your total lack of hygiene.
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On a serious note, yes, it's only male urine that deters them.
It's complete and utter nonsense. Where do you folks get such stupid ideas into your heads? Piss all over your own plot and all you'll do is kill your plants. The fox will still come and dig holes and shortcut across it regardless of your total lack of hygiene.
Human urine will not kill you plants - it's a good source of nitogen with some phosphorus and potassium. Plenty of research has been done on this topic
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V24-4J2KTBC-4&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=a07f91629d575a0451803b07453b28c9
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf0717891o
Also urine in a healthy person is not unhygenic it is sterile - doesnt everyone piss on thier compost heasp
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I have a fox digging holes at the front of my plot where my runners are, plenty of peeps told me to put piss down and thats what I've done not on the plants but on the soil near the road path, time will tell. ;D ;D ;D :P
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Gosh these foxes arnt alf extracting some urine
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I must say I was thinking of using the urine technique. Rather than doing it all over I was thinking of soaking rags in it, tied on sticks.(a bit like the old renardine technique). Thanks for all the help .I wonder if anybody else has tried this ??
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Human urine will not kill you plants - it's a good source of nitogen with some phosphorus and potassium. Plenty of research has been done on this topic
Plenty of research but no observation. Come on, let's have less reading and more observation. Piss on a plant a few times and it will die. If you don't believe me oh you faithless lot then try it instead of telling me what other people have said. You may have noticed but I don't care what third parties have to say. Over the past 3 years I've systematically cleared quite a large patch of ivy under my tree. As for the compost heap, it's not a growing plant and I am not tall enough but that should not stop taller people.
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I've been pissing on one of my rhubarb clumps for months, and it's exactly the same size as the others.
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Hi Folks,
For those who are having foxy problems, I would recommend a site called The Fox Project which deals with problems caused by foxes, especially urban foxes. These people are experts at resolving foxy problems in a fox friendly (and human friendly) manner.
[url][/uhttp://www.foxproject.org.uk/rl]
They recommend special fox detterents, that do not harm pets or wildlife, which can be sprinkled around the problem area to deter the fox. .
Having extensively tested every repellent on the market, we regard the most effective products as "Scoot" and "Get Off My Garden". These are safe, proprietary mammal repellents and are available from garden centres and hardware stores.
Get Off My Garden is a general purpose repellent, which may be used at ground level or underground and which can be applied directly onto growing plants. Scoot is effective as a foliage or lawn spray where fouling or digging is taking place.
Not all methods of deterrence involve chemicals. During experiments carried out in association with Greenwich University, we found ultrasonic devices broadly ineffective, but found a water driven gadget, called "Scarecrow", very effective.
Hope that helps
Gillybean
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Human urine will not kill you plants - it's a good source of nitogen with some phosphorus and potassium. Plenty of research has been done on this topic
Plenty of research but no observation. Come on, let's have less reading and more observation. Piss on a plant a few times and it will die. If you don't believe me oh you faithless lot then try it instead of telling me what other people have said. You may have noticed but I don't care what third parties have to say. Over the past 3 years I've systematically cleared quite a large patch of ivy under my tree. As for the compost heap, it's not a growing plant and I am not tall enough but that should not stop taller people.
Quite how you can do research without observation is beyond me but none the less you are still wrong. A friend of mine even saves his piss for the plot and takes it with him when he goes - watered down and applied to the celerey and cabbages - gets wonderful results which I have observed. The main problem is salinity but it can be avoided by watering it down. I dont know where you get these strange ideas from!
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Straight urine does kill sensitive plants, one of my scouts who was doing a small holding badge decided he'd do some extra curricular activities with his friends and add to my plot by peeing on it. Youth of today :( All my tomatoes died.
Mix it up with water and it makes a fine fertiliser.
Neat does deter foxes - I used to have them digging constantly in my raised no-dig bed but no more with the urine down. About 6mths ago they asked me why the foxes weren't digging mine over, so I told them, they all do it, no fox invasion.
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I dont know where you get these strange ideas from!
I'll tell you where I get these strange ideas from. I do not read books, I look carefully at everything that happens in my locality. It's a pity you do not do the same. Always bleating on about what others do and others say.
Stale pee is not the same as fresh, and watered down is not the same as fresh, and tipping concoctions on the soil is not the same as pissing on the foliage.
Quite how you can do research without observation is beyond me
It's beyond me too but people doing research usually have a result to achieve before they start rather than an open objective. BarriedaleNick you keep on telling me what others do and others say and defend their position doggedly but you seem to have done nothing yourself and seem to have lost track of the thread which is deterring foxes from digging holes on the plot. Foxes have long learnt to live in close association with humans and human presence just means another food opportunity. They totally ignore our smell.
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I dont know where you get these strange ideas from!
I'll tell you where I get these strange ideas from. I do not read books, I look carefully at everything that happens in my locality. It's a pity you do not do the same. Always bleating on about what others do and others say.
Stale pee is not the same as fresh, and watered down is not the same as fresh, and tipping concoctions on the soil is not the same as pissing on the foliage.
Quite how you can do research without observation is beyond me
It's beyond me too but people doing research usually have a result to achieve before they start rather than an open objective. BarriedaleNick you keep on telling me what others do and others say and defend their position doggedly but you seem to have done nothing yourself and seem to have lost track of the thread which is deterring foxes from digging holes on the plot. Foxes have long learnt to live in close association with humans and human presence just means another food opportunity. They totally ignore our smell.
I don't know where you get your strange ideas from. I read books, listen to other peoples experiences, watch and learn from them rather than critising about things I clearly have no idea about.
Not entirely sure how you describe 'open objective' I think 'stopping foxes from digging holes in my allotment' is the objective and it's fairly closed.
You come from NW london where your situation is very much different compared to my own plot, which sits directly next to farmers fields where foxes have much less contact with humans.
If you've nothing to add except ill founded critism don't comment at all - you certainly don't believe in science so I don't know how you base your facts.
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I dont know where you get these strange ideas from!
I'll tell you where I get these strange ideas from. I do not read books, I look carefully at everything that happens in my locality. It's a pity you do not do the same. Always bleating on about what others do and others say.
Stale pee is not the same as fresh, and watered down is not the same as fresh, and tipping concoctions on the soil is not the same as pissing on the foliage.
Quite how you can do research without observation is beyond me
It's beyond me too but people doing research usually have a result to achieve before they start rather than an open objective. BarriedaleNick you keep on telling me what others do and others say and defend their position doggedly but you seem to have done nothing yourself and seem to have lost track of the thread which is deterring foxes from digging holes on the plot. Foxes have long learnt to live in close association with humans and human presence just means another food opportunity. They totally ignore our smell.
So you don't read books, you don't believe in science, you don't listen to other peoples' views and anyone who doesn't agree seems to be treated with contempt.
Personally I'll continue "to bleat on" about what other people have to say because to me that is the very purpose of sites like this - to share information and to learn from other people. What are we here for if not to benefit from indirect experience
I will take my books, my experience, my learning from others and my science and I'll weigh that against your opinion based on your experience and just take my chances. I think I'll get by.
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All I said was mark your territory by weeing everywhere. If it works it works, if it don't it don't. I had no intention of starting a row.
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Plot 69 you didn't start the row, you came up with an idea that works for quite a few people, so why do people have to start an arguement and get personal on every subject the comes up lately, I'm getting pretty fucked off with the constant bickering and abuse and its no wonder people can't be bothered to come on here much these days. >:( >:( >:(
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Plot 69 you didn't start the row, you came up with an idea that works for quite a few people, so why do people have to start an arguement and get personal on every subject the comes up lately, I'm getting pretty fucked off with the constant bickering and abuse and its no wonder people can't be bothered to come on here much these days. >:( >:( >:(
apologies for going off topic and you are right. Sorry if I added to the bickering - back to veg talk
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I'm getting pretty fucked off with the constant bickering and abuse
I enjoy reading and taking part in this forum far too much to get involved in slagging matches. Which is why I didn't respond when I was called a "Numpty".
Numpty I may be, but sad, rude and offensive? I like to think not.
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When I started this thread I didn't realise it would cause so much controversy.I must say I've really enjoyed reading ALL the different ideas .That's what I like about the site.I'm still heading towards the urine solution------unless there's anymore ideas???
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I'm still heading towards the urine solution------unless there's anymore ideas???
I have heard that women's tights filled with human hair works. Hang them at various places around the plot. Problem is getting some numpty to let you shave his head and then getting another numptyess to drop her drawers for you ::)
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I'm still heading towards the urine solution------unless there's anymore ideas???
I have heard that women's tights filled with human hair works. Hang them at various places around the plot. Problem is getting some numpty to let you shave his head and then getting another numptyess to drop her drawers for you ::)
I may have been down the pub but I ;D at that
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I've been pisssing on my path for 5/6 days now and the fox hasn't been near there, time will tell, I think he's pissed off. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Started my urine experiment last night.The only trouble is it didn't go far----I will have to drink a lot more!will let you know how I get on deterring the foxes.
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Whilst foxes live in urban areas and are used to humans being around - there is a great difference if the humans "mark their territory" as the fox does, and the normal "smell of humans".
It is an animal thing which - thankfully - humans don't do very often!!!
If I had a problem with a fox - since I can't get Renardine any more - I would use this to see if it worked - which I expect it will as it is an animal territorial mark - as we have seen on TV when lions and tigers do the same thing!
Good luck with your problem anyway!
Old Bird
;)
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You wanna watch it Kev or you'll be had up for indecent exposure ;D
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I make sure no ones watching Shirl, mind you I did have a nasty experience with a stinging nettle once, but thats a different storey. :o ;D ;D ;D
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You come from NW london
You couldn't be more wrong if you tried. Silly boys.
While you are all thinking you are smart by lowering yourselves to the level of an animal, I've watched the foxes and outsmarted them. They now walk happily along the designated pathways past my plot to dig holes elsewhere.
Finally, direct observation coupled with an understanding of what has been seen is of more value than all the pages of the entire Internet put together.
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U out foxed them then. ??? ;D ;D ;D
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8)
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8)
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Went down the plot today checking on the urine experiment.Result------- The fox had dug a bigger hole next to where I urinated than anywhere else.It could mean that I smell like a fox or it didn't work. Anyway today I've made a mini fence around my sweet corn (which they've damaged ) to see if that works.
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I noticed today that one of my strawberries was half eaten through and was still hanging there, on inspection it was a canine set of teeth no not a fox but the lotty holders border collie next to me off the lead again at the weekend so I've been told, >:(