Damn those Pesky Foxes!

[mockney piers]

Nope, i think you read it right.

I'm sure if it's out at night rather than festering in the heat of the day in august, it shouldn't be a problem for anyone but foxes and short sighted robbers

[fractionater]

To clarify - yes I did pee in a bucket and leave it in the middle of my brand new lawn!

I'm sure there is stuff you can buy - but this was an emergency... I can't wait till the weekend to pop down to B&Q, I'll have no lawn left! + The other stuff they sell you is pee from other animals... I actually read somewhere that Wolf pee is often used. Well I am now pretty sure that my own Pee will do the job. (and its free).

I will not be leaving my pee to fester out there, I'll replace it daily until I get one of those electronic/ultra sonic devices this weekend + I'll try and block the holes in my fence too.

Dul Mum - I'm near Goose Green

[Keef]

Maybe this sound even more grim to some, but I think I'd rather just have a general pee around the borders than leave it in a bucket...... :-$

[Mark]

Perhaps you could eat some asparagus beforehand for the extra smelly repulsion effect, but make sure you don't get it on your shoes as you shuffle round the garden, especially if you're a woman.

[fractionater]

Nah - the neighbors will catch you doing that! + it won't be as concentrated - It will just soak into the ground

[dulwichmum]

You dirty dogs, this would never happen in West Dulwich you know! We even eat asparagus over here without any alterior motive.

[katgod]

when we lived somewhere less salubrious in South London hubby used to piddle in the front garden under the hedge to deter the foxes from crapping on the concrete strip between house and hedge. Having tried all sorts of products, including lion dung, hubby pee works best.

As for the foxes sha**ing at midnight and waking me up, any suggestions. I believe a family of foxes live between the wood yard and Mulberry Close, and they are v busy at night at the moment.

PS hubby does not pe under the hedge now we live in Dulwich. Altho we are in East Dulwich I expect sensitive types in West Dulwich would still be upset by such behaviour.

PPS are there no foxes in West Dulwich?

[dulwichmum]

Dear Mrs Katgod,

Yes indeedy, we have foxes. We bought some 'Seldane' or some product with a similar name (there is some left in the garage I think) and it saw them off! They had a proper little burrow thingy they were building in our back garden, and our neighbours told us that it would be impossible to shift them as they had been around for longer than anyone can remember. It worked ever so well though, and they have gone.

I only see foxes trotting about the place now, not burrowing and howling in the garden. Piddle in the garden is not the answer I can assure you. There is never any excuse for such unsanitary behaviour. It should be stamped out.

[katgod]

Thank you dulwichmum. Seldane is I believe the name of a cleaning agency operating in the Dulwich area. I did not know they dealt with foxes but will refer to my cleaning lady for assistance in future.

You are quite right re weeing in garden being unsanitary. It is a slippery slope from there to shopping in Iceland and drinking instant coffee. All are now banned. Standards must be maintained.

Best regards

Katgod

[dulwichmum]

Dear Mrs Katgod,

Have you ever considered living in West Dulwich?

I shall check in the garage right now for the name of that product and get back to you asap. Now, where did I put my torch and wellington boots?

[dulwichmum]

Dear Mrs Katgod,

I just woke up the au pair when I was staggering about in the garden (her flat is on top of the garage). My word she is a big girl - and in the dark, quite scarey. I promise to check first thing tomorrow evening after work. I am sure I bought it in that DIY shop near Dulwich Plough.

You are right to point out too that there is never any call for instant coffee.

[clare]

It's so hard isn't it- I took my mum to the Blue Mountain and she asked them if they had any Nescafe because she "doesn't like the frothy stuff". Aren't parents embarassing.

[dulwichmum]

Dear Clare,

I know! One Sunday morning, Max said he wanted to 'scoot' for pain au chocolat from the patisserie in the village (forgive my spelling please as it is so late), and my mother became more than animated - with 'it is far from pain au chocolat your mother was raised', and she gave him a full fifteen minute discription of bread and dripping type breakfasts - disgusting.

She has such a short memory, she used to make me Readybrek with smarties in it. The other thing that makes her give the kids a lecture is when they order 'babychino' type chocolate milk from the lovely girls in Cafe Rouge - who know that this is the childrens special code for immitation cappacino. 'Your mother had tea - like a normal child' she tells them - and this is true, she would put it in our bottles - I remember that actually. I remember hearing that tea for a baby or child under five years old inhibits iron absorbtion - and I realised why I had always been such a pale child. Mothers - who would have them? They are lovely really though.

[clare]

I have told my kids not to tell my mum that they like suchi. ....... her eyeballs nearly swivelled out of her head and she snorted for a full 10 minutes when I let slip that we try and eat organic fruit and veg......she keeps trying to make me buy bottles of mulled wine from Aldi even though she knows I have a perfectly wonderful Delia Smith recipe that only takes several hours to make......

shall we rename this thread damn those pesky mothers ......

ps i am a fan of steve biddulph books too although I think he would get on my nerves if I ever met him.

[fractionater]

Clare & dul mum..... Take it to the Lounge!

I am happy to report a 2nd night of no fox attacks thanks to my pee.... and the bucket.

[spadetownboy]

that pee in the bucket business sounds a good idea to me,obviously filling a bucket would require a bit of outside help.thank god for arthur guinness.

[dulwichmum]

My word, this line of conversation is all rather base!

[spymum]

Hmmm, this whole wee thing strikes me as much easier for the blokes than the lasses. And I refuse to countenance going in a bucket even if it does get rid of the foxes. It's just not happening, OK?!

But foxes are really a major pain. Believe this or not, but they have come through our electronic cat flap twice and gobbled up our hamsters. This is not a joke!

Mark, how on earth did you find that hilarious H of L report? After our hamstercide I think that an urban Hunt is just what we need.

spymum

(Blog: Posh Mum)

[Amelie]

Bexley Council offers the following advice:

If foxes are digging or making an earth in your garden, discourage them at the first signs of activity. First make certain that the holes are not occupied.

Do this by discouraging the fox with repellents soaked onto pieces of wood or rags placed in the holes and/or soaked onto 'sharp' (builders') sand around the entrance. After a few days lightly block the entrance with soil which can easily be pushed out if the earth is occupied. When you are certain that the holes are not occupied, fill with bricks or heavy materials that will be difficult to dig out.

If you think you may have an established earth in your garden, or you suspect that the foxes may be suffering from disease, it may be advisable to seek advice from a private pest control company.

Research has shown that non-toxic chemical repellents are sometimes effective in reducing nuisance from foxes when they are used correctly. Scent neutralisers can discourage foxes from fouling specific areas. All repellents must be renewed regularly, especially in hot weather and after heavy rain.

'Scoot' can be used to deter foxes from digging and fouling on lawns. It should be diluted and sprayed onto the lawn where the problem is occurring.

'Get Off My Garden' is a solid repellent and can be used to deter repeated digging or fouling in specific areas. It should be placed in the holes which foxes are digging, or in other areas to which foxes pay particular attention.

'Wash Off' is a scent neutraliser and can be used to discourage repeated fouling and urinating on hard surfaces by removing the fox's scent so that it cannot mark the area successfully.

All repellents must be used according to the manufacturers' safety instructions.

The repellents listed above are generally available in garden centres and hardware stores. The inclusion of these products on this site is for information only and is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation of them by Bexley Council.

This is from Wild London:

www.wildlondon.org.uk/resourcefiles/20040625141957Living+with+Foxes.doc

Or you could try having a quiet word with the Countryside Alliance ..........

[dulwichmum]

Wow, Amelie, well done! That repellent fluid soaked through sharp builders sand is what worked for us. It is marvellous, no random piddling around the garden required - by anyone.

[spymum]

I've tried all those (ahem! expensive) anti-fox preparations like Get Off Mmy Garden and Lions Roar. As you have to reapply each time it rains (and it rains rather a lot in England!) it got tiresome quite quickly! The only one that seemed to work was a particularly foul black tar-like substance called Reynardine which was so horrible it kept all of us out of the garden too!

What we need is for a hip and trendy East Dulwich designer to make Dulwich-specific fox fur hugely fashionable (maybe on the basis that the foxes are the best fed in Britain and have better pelts)! I've always been a lefty sab-supporter, but after drying copius tears after the smash 'n grab hamster eating episode I'm on the warpath!

spymum

(Blog: Posh Mum)

[dulwichmum]

Renardine! That is what we used, and it worked. I just found it in the garage. Yes you probably need to re-apply it two or three times and it smells rather bad, but over the course of about four to six weeks it works. It was rather miraculous. But Spymum is right, it smells dreadful. I suppose, being Spring, the weather is cold and you have your windoes closed so the smell should not come into the house.

Clearly - you should instruct your staff to apply it, and perhaps stay at your club in town until the whole smelly business is over with, but it works in the end!

[fractionater]

Hmmm... why buy expensive, smelly, and possibly environmentally damaging chemicals?

If the Rag method works, then just Pee on a rag rather than in a bucket!... its free too

I'll give it a try this weekend...probably looks better than having a bucket out in the middle of the lawn.

PS - Still no fox attacks to report

[DirtyBox]

Or just employ a tramp to do the peeing for you

[dulwichmum]

No, no, no. This is a slippery slope, as a chum pointed out earlier, it will be instant coffee next, and before you know it we will be sending children up chimneys!