The Urban Fox
Red foxes are a beautiful species - but at the same time, they can be troublesome if in the wrong place. Whereas most creatures tend to be dispossessed by the growth of urban sprawl, the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is an opportunist species that has in recent years become a successful colonist of our towns and cities.
These wily predators are drawn to city life by the abundance of food, whether raided from our bins or provided by well-meaning but perhaps misguided individuals, and by the many nooks and crannies they use to shelter during the day. A little known fact is that many choose to sleep up trees to avoid unwanted contact with dogs!
The abundance of food – much more rubbish is thrown away per square mile in the city than is available in the form of chickens and rabbits in the country, has resulted in a population explosion in recent times which is bringing the urban fox into conflict with many unfortunate householders.
Overpopulation in any animal species usually brings with it all manner of undesirable behaviours and problems. This inherently means they have unnaturally small territories, something that can cause increased fighting and excessive “scent marking” with urine and faeces. This then leads to a high prevalence of disease as well as damage to property and gardens by nest-building and digging.
Overpopulation also causes diseases to spread throughout the population because infected animals will come across the territories of many other foxes, interacting with them either directly or through “scent marking”. Foxes can and do carry a number of pathogens and parasites, many of which can be transmitted to domestic pets and some even to humans. These range from simple things like fleas (causing embarrassment and distress) to serious illnesses like sarcoptic mange, toxoplasmosis or toxacara. All these are easily caught by family pets – with the consequent expensive vet bills, however, far more seriously, they can also be contracted by humans, with young children or elderly people especially vulnerable.
Being an apex predator, nothing in the UK preys on foxes and so their numbers are kept in check by disease, starvation or road accidents; our control methods are all considerably more humane than if nothing was done about the ever increasing population. Urban foxes are known to grow larger than their rural counterparts and are increasingly showing less fear of humans, with many cases of children and babies being attacked or even bitten by foxes in and around their homes.
With foxes able to take up residence in all manner of hidden places in our towns, they are coming into conflict with people more and more as their population increases. As a result of this, we offer an effective, discreet and professional answer to your fox problem.
We conduct a free initial site visit and assess both the scale of the problem and identify the best solution for your circumstances.
The best and most effective method of dealing with problem foxes will be tailored to your situation and will vary according to location, circumstances and client preference.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us through our webform, email, or by telephone to discuss your requirements on site as part of our service.
