How can I prevent foxes wrecking my flower beds or vegetable patches?

Most damage to gardens occurs from May to July when the fox cubs are playing in the vicinity of their den. This problem can often be solved fairly easily by making freshly dug or planted beds difficult to access.
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< questions | links >		 When entire gardens or individual beds or patches look as though they have been hit by a tornado, when plastic bags, shoes and gardening gloves are strewn all over the place – this means fox cubs have been having fun. Of course, such devastation can be very upsetting.

Unfortunately, there is no patent recipe for preventing damage. Nevertheless, in some cases the following measures have proved effective:
  • If only one or two beds are concerned, you can stick dry firtree branches about half a metre high into the beds or enclose these patches with welded mesh half a metre high. Both methods will stop cubs from using the flower beds or vegetable patches as a playground.
  • If you have planted fresh seeds then it is a good idea to cover the seed beds with chicken wire fastened down with pegs. This will also help to stop cats from burying their droppings in the freshly turned soil.


Fox cubs only play in the vicinity of their den so a breeding den must be nearby. It could be in dense undergrowth or beneath a garden shed. Read here for advice on what to do if you discover a breeding den.



Related questions
When do urban fox cubs emerge from the den?
Why do foxes dig in my garden?
What can I do if foxes are living in my garden?


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