Residents offer advice and views on how to deal with the situation
Following reports from residents on foxes setting up home in Brackenbury gardens and even coming into houses, the Brackenbury Residents Association (BRA) requested practical advice from members on how to keep them at bay. Here's a selection of handy tips:
Monica Krall - 'From Radio 4 (Gardener’s World) a message came that if a man pees in the place, foxes as well as cats do not like it and choose somewhere else!'
A neighbour corroborates: ' I went for physio today. It seems my therapist had a fox family living under her summerhouse for a while till she had her whole garden done up at great expense and the foxes left in disgust. She couldn't understand how her neighbour was never bothered by them when everyone else was driven to distraction. He eventually admitted to taking a "walk" round his garden every night before going to bed. So that remedy does seem to work.........'
Jane Petti - 'Foxes are deterred by male urine - put it around the boundary edges this will keep them away. They are territorial and use this method themselves so they think it is another male animal. We have found this most effective and simple.'
A couple from BRA said: 'Last year we had foxes living in our garden. Thanks to a good neighbour, we found their lair under a large bush and stopped it up. Also I had delivered to all our neighbours a letter advising them not to leave out any scraps of food, shoes, small pets; in fact anything which could be taken by a fox or fox cubs. This seems to have worked. Only one growing fox visits our garden from time to time. We find nothing alien on our lawn; and the foxes no longer live in our garden.'
A resident from Goldhawk Road said:- 'I purchased a sonic device (about £13) which I situated in the garden last summer and it seems to work. It has been on all year (uses huge batteries which lasted the year) and I haven't been bothered by foxes since. Adults can't hear the piercing noise but children can! I found the device online.'
Another gentleman added: - When we were on Carthew we had a problem of foxes– I made up a potion of pepper, oranges, chilli and water – left it stewing for a week or so then sprayed it around the area the foxes used – it managed to get rid of them and it wasn’t too toxic for everyone else! One can use anything citrus and peppery as apparently these are foxes' pet hates!'
August 2, 2010