Foxes are omnivorous animals growing up to 5ft in length. You can find them in rural areas and urban areas. If you ever ask, can foxes climb fences, or can foxes jump fences, you’ll need to know how high can foxes jump.
Once a fox knows a food source, they can take some keeping out of your yard. Chickens and small animals such as guinea pigs you may have in your yard are under threat from foxes and other animals that see these as fair game.
The most prevalent fox species in urban environments are the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus).
In our guide, you can find the answer to can foxes climb fences. By the end, you’ll have enough information to know that you need much more than a regular fence, as most fences make little challenge to a fox.
You’ll also see that even with an electric fence and wire netting, this doesn’t mean you have a fox-proof fence. A gray fox sees this as a challenge as they make their way toward your chickens.
How High Should a Fence Be To Keep Foxes Out?
Foxes are a breed of canine that has evolved to overcome hurdles. They can jump almost three feet with ease. You can make the experience more difficult for them by raising your fence higher, but this may not always work. They have claws that can scale even a 6-foot fence.
They will climb trees to hunt prey when they are in need. They will climb your fence if they genuinely want to. (Learn How Long Do Moths Live)
Even though foxes can quickly scale most backyard fences, make it as challenging as possible for them. This will serve as a deterrent, and the fox may seek shelter elsewhere if available.
If you keep it at a minimum of 6 feet, you’ll at least have a barrier that they won’t be able to leap over.
Instead of focusing on the height of a fence, think about the design and materials used.
Some fences are explicitly designed to keep foxes and other predators out. There are several types available depending on your pet and the level of protection you want to provide.
Electric Fences are maybe the clear winner in this area.
They’re designed uniquely to give any predator attempting to climb a shock. If you have chickens, you need to invest in specialized electric fences made just for them.
However, while electricity is a good deterrent for foxes and other wild animals, these versions aren’t always successful or fox-proof.
Instead, choose a fence that you can set up yourself, complete with the boundaries and parameters you require. Such fences are reasonably priced and provide security for small or larger animals such as cats and dogs.
Should you need to protect smaller animals, such as guinea pigs and rabbits, a fence of this size is often too much work and too expensive.
In such cases, a predator-proof hutch could offer better protection from a fox climb since tackling obstacles is their specialty or other opportunistic predators venturing into your yard.
How Do I Stop Foxes Climbing My Fence?
Foxes are incredibly smart, and homeowners who want to set up defenses can find it a bit of a challenge. Some animals are kept at bay by the addition of wire mesh. Foxes brush this off and can use it to enter your yard. (Read What Do Cockroaches Hate)
Many foxes can jump three feet and using claws; they can scrabble six feet or higher. Besides a fox-proof electric fence, here are some other ways to help deter foxes.
Eliminate Attractions
Climbing a tall wall requires something good on the other side. For a fox, this signifies they see or smell something tasty. The scent of prey or the sight of chickens in their coop may entice foxes to invade your property in search of a tasty meal.
Removing the foxes’ appeal can help convince foxes there is nothing there, yet you still have the smell to attract them.
Clear Scraps of Food
- Remove loose compost containing fish or other organic products that foxes could mistake for food.
- Cover any sources of standing water, especially at night.
- Stop using fish, blood, or ground-up bones in your fertilizer.
- If you have fruits or vegetables growing in your yard, pick them when they’re ready rather than leaving them on the ground as a buffet for foxes or other small animals to enjoy.
Blocking Holes
- If foxes don’t come to your yard for food, they may come for shelter. Foxes prefer dark, secluded areas.
- To prevent foxes from using these locations as dens, plug them up.
- Check to see if there are any creatures already living there, then close the space.
Use Fox Repellent
There are two primary types of fox repellant. First, there are scent-based repellents. Like dogs, foxes are driven and guided by their sense of smell. For example, foxes loathe the odors of aluminum ammonium sulfate and methyl nonyl ketone. These scents can repel foxes from your yard.
Where you spray fox repellant matters, you don’t want to squander money by spraying it everywhere, and you don’t want to smell fox repellant all over your property.
Instead of applying fox repellent near veggies, spray it on the soil around and leading up to the area, preventing foxes from getting there. Finally, foxes are territorial, which means they can leave “leaves” behind to “mark their territory.”
Get a Guard Dog
Obviously, not all dogs are suitable for chasing foxes. If foxes are bothering your yard, chihuahuas are more likely to become fox food than fox deterrents, so keep them inside.
Large dogs can be a threat and make foxes think twice about scaling the wire mesh by your chickens. (Learn How To Keep Squirrels Out Of Flower Pots)
Use Hair
This is a splendid solution for anyone who is a barber, knows one, or has just had a haircut and is wondering what to do with the trimmings. Human fragrances may deter foxes from bothering your property. If so, scattering human hair around your property may help deter them. If you have a dog that molts a lot, you can place dog hair in certain areas to give off a threatening scent.
Use Sounds
Aside from the smell, foxes rely heavily on hearing. Unpleasant sounds can be warded off by playing music or other sounds via radio or a similar device. Remember, foxes are loud when mating, so your loud noises need to be louder than the foxes’ lovemaking.
Fox Cage
Let’s say you’ve tried these tactics, and the fox still won’t listen. If so, it may be time to take more severe actions. Catching and capturing a fox can permanently eliminate it.
A good fox cage should have various features, mainly because of its size. Make sure the cage is spacious enough for the fox to fit comfortably and for them to see it as an opening worth entering.
A tiny or narrow hole won’t fool foxes and isn’t humane. Having multiple doors boosts your chances of success, as the fox can enter the cage in multiple ways. Never put your hand inside the cage after the fox is inside.
Call Animal Control
If you’re unsure how to cage a fox, call an expert. Experts in animal control know how to cage and remove foxes safely.
Experts in animal control vary by region. The best way to get rid of a fox depends on the fox’s reaction, your property, your budget, and your level of knowledge.
Sprinklers
A strategically placed motion-activated sprinkler system can keep foxes away. It may not cover all your yard, yet position such a device between your yard’s border and where you want to stop the fox.
How Far Can a Red Fox Jump?
Foxes are excellent jumpers and climbers, so jumping over fences as high as 6 ft 7 inches isn’t much of a struggle.
One method of fox deterrence and animal protection is to keeping pet enclosures close to your home.
Fencing can be adequate, but it is not an impenetrable barrier. Outside the enclosure, additional fox control in a buffer zone may make fencing much more effective. Adding a roof to your enclosure could stop a determined fox.
To tackle the subject of how to discourage foxes, a variety of fence designs have been designed. The best design is determined by factors such as
Wire netting or various spacings of electric wires are used in most fence designs, including chicken electric fencing. The wire netting with one and a half to two-inch hexagonal diameter stops foxes pushing through the fence’s base.
Incorporate electric wires as additional deterrents; however, they are ineffective on their own. Wire placement and spacing are subject to change.
Remember that foxes are great diggers, so burying the wire netting at least 450mm underground or attaching it to a concrete or wooden floor, especially with a small pen, may be helpful.
An apron of netting oriented outwards over the ground for 300 to 600mm at the foot of the fence is another excellent alternative. In places with soft substrate or watercourses, aprons must be fastened with weights or pegs.
Several designs double the typical height because we know how good jumpers and climbers these cunning pests are. They employ more netting or different electric wire spacings depending on the local environment and vegetation density to help the fox.
An outward-facing overhang with netting angled outwards can prevent animals scaling a fence. These overhangs can be floppy or firm, and electric wires can be used as additional deterrents. A complete wire netting roof is one solution for small pens.
Foxes frequently attack fence posts and corners. These locations should deserve extra attention. It will be more challenging to scale steel posts than it will be to scale wooden ones.
Discourage climbing by adding extra netting; the more netting on weak points, and the foxes won’t chew through.
