foxes and fox cubs

[bajmoe]

Can you stop foxes digging?

Yes, this is comparatively easy. Foxes dig shallow holes in lawns, allotments or playing fields when they are hunting for earthworms and grubs; they eat a large number of cutworms (the caterpillars of Moths) and beetle larvae, such as wireworms. These only come near the surface in wet Periods and so this sort of damage is seasonal. It occurs mainly in wet springs and warm wet autumns.
If the damage is not too severe you can ignore it and it will cease as soon as the weather changes. You can then repair. Otherwise, you can remove the grubs and earthworms by using a commercially available insecticide and vermicide available from garden centers and DIY stores.
This Course of action should only be considered in extreme circumstances, due to the need to reduce the use of all pesticides in the environment.
Very occasionally, foxes dig much deeper holes in lawns or bowling greens. These can sometimes be
Half a meter or more deep and the lawn looks like a battlefield. This usually occurs when a blood or
Bone-based fertilizer has been applied; the foxes think there is a corpse and being Scavengers, frantically dig to find it. All you can do is water or wait for the rain to wash the fertilizer deeper so That they cannot smell it.

[bajmoe]

[Suzanne]

One of the best things I like about allotments is that when you are not busy digging or planting, you can generally sit back listen to the birds, watch the rabbits & hares (on the other side of the rabbit proof fence hopefully!), and occasionally catch sight of a fox or badger or something equally exciting.

At my first home (in Leicestershire) I had a fox that lived in the garden, I didn't feed her, as being in the countryside she kept the other small rodents to a reasonable level. When she had cubs she bought them out under the damson tree at the back of the garden so they could play and she could sunbathe I still have some old pictures.

Similarly in my new home we have fox, badgers, weasels (rare to see and too quick to photograph, but breath taking to watch if they find a rabbit and do a death dance) and a couple of days ago a large grass snake. Apart from the odd squirrel trying to find places for the winters nut store we haven't had any serious damage - the odd hole doesn't really matter.

I am not a vegetarian so accept that animals die so I can eat meat, but I don't see the point in killing something I can't eat.

Rambled on a bit - but the point I am trying to make is that on the whole watching our British wildlife gives much more joy than the minor damage that they may cause.

[Mr Smith]

Robert B
               I rest my case ;)

[spiritofold]

Nothing better than watching the foxes at our site!  I love them!!!

I'm always in awe at the wildlife that lives around us, how it tries to integrate
into the changes we make to the land. Some people will never understand the magic of the creatures that live near us.

I find some kids more hassle than the wildlife. Nobody ever blurts out about
hunting them down though to stop the problem....

Andy  ;D