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Fox digging up new lawn
I have created my first lawn and decided to do it from seed. I made
what I hoped would be a good bed from the existing soil, horse manure and bagged up topsoil and created a smooth level surface. The seed has grown quite well and the desied effect is gradually taking shape. The only trouble is that a fox keeps coming and digging holes in it. I thought he would be put off when the grass thickened up a bit but no. He is sometimes bringing food to bury. I have heard of various suggestions for deterring cats but what about foxes? Also I have been surprised by how much damage a blackbird can do just by pecking for worms along the edges where the grass isn't so thick. I blamed the fox for this when I saw the disturbed soil until I saw the balckbird doing it. I expect you have guessed I am one of those 'pristine lawn' types! |
Anthony Ward wrote:
I have created my first lawn and decided to do it from seed. I made what I hoped would be a good bed from the existing soil, horse manure and bagged up topsoil and created a smooth level surface. The seed has grown quite well and the desied effect is gradually taking shape. The only trouble is that a fox keeps coming and digging holes in it. I thought he would be put off when the grass thickened up a bit but no. He is sometimes bringing food to bury. I have heard of various suggestions for deterring cats but what about foxes? 12-bore shotgun |
The message
from Anthony Ward contains these words: I have created my first lawn and decided to do it from seed. I made what I hoped would be a good bed from the existing soil, horse manure and bagged up topsoil and created a smooth level surface. The seed has grown quite well and the desied effect is gradually taking shape. The only trouble is that a fox keeps coming and digging holes in it. I thought he would be put off when the grass thickened up a bit but no. He is sometimes bringing food to bury. I have heard of various suggestions for deterring cats but what about foxes? Also I have been surprised by how much damage a blackbird can do just by pecking for worms along the edges where the grass isn't so thick. I blamed the fox for this when I saw the disturbed soil until I saw the balckbird doing it. I expect you have guessed I am one of those 'pristine lawn' types! Find someone with a ferret and acquire the litter when it/they is/are cleaned out. Put some of it in a large bucket and top-up with water. Leave for twelve hours. Dry the rest for future use. (Seal in a polythene bag - but make sure it is really dry!) Strain your ferret juice into a watering can and water the lawn with it. Continue the treatment until the lawn is established, or the fox doesn't return. This method also works for rats, mice and moles. -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
The message
from Derek Turner somewhat@odds contains these words: Anthony Ward wrote: I have created my first lawn and decided to do it from seed. I made what I hoped would be a good bed from the existing soil, horse manure and bagged up topsoil and created a smooth level surface. The seed has grown quite well and the desied effect is gradually taking shape. The only trouble is that a fox keeps coming and digging holes in it. I thought he would be put off when the grass thickened up a bit but no. He is sometimes bringing food to bury. I have heard of various suggestions for deterring cats but what about foxes? 12-bore shotgun ·22 LR Hollowpoint (HV) is better. ·243 is a bit much for a garden, and ·222 is a bit much as well. -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
In message , Anthony Ward
writes I have created my first lawn and decided to do it from seed. I made what I hoped would be a good bed from the existing soil, horse manure and bagged up topsoil and created a smooth level surface. The seed has grown quite well and the desied effect is gradually taking shape. The only trouble is that a fox keeps coming and digging holes in it. I thought he would be put off when the grass thickened up a bit but no. He is sometimes bringing food to bury. I have heard of various suggestions for deterring cats but what about foxes? Also I have been surprised by how much damage a blackbird can do just by pecking for worms along the edges where the grass isn't so thick. I blamed the fox for this when I saw the disturbed soil until I saw the balckbird doing it. I expect you have guessed I am one of those 'pristine lawn' types! If you need to deter foxes from a newly planted/sown area the only thing we have found effective is to place rags soaked in Renardine on short (30 - 40 cm) sticks around the perimeter of the area to be protected. It smells disgusting but it has worked for us. If it rains heavily then 'refresh' the Renardine on the rags. Foxes are quite lazy and when the grass is established and the ground more difficult to dig in they will move to softer ground - a flower bed or similar :-) Whilst people suggest that you do something to kill the fox, invariably when an adult fox is killed another just moves in to the territory. As for bird damage, just wait until a woodpecker decides that you have ants or interesting grubs in the lawn! -- Robert |
On Tue, 7 Jun 2005 20:44:38 +0100, Anthony Ward wrote
(in message ): I have created my first lawn and decided to do it from seed. I made what I hoped would be a good bed from the existing soil, horse manure and bagged up topsoil and created a smooth level surface. The seed has grown quite well and the desied effect is gradually taking shape. The only trouble is that a fox keeps coming and digging holes in it. I thought he would be put off when the grass thickened up a bit but no. He is sometimes bringing food to bury. I have heard of various suggestions for deterring cats but what about foxes? Also I have been surprised by how much damage a blackbird can do just by pecking for worms along the edges where the grass isn't so thick. I blamed the fox for this when I saw the disturbed soil until I saw the balckbird doing it. I expect you have guessed I am one of those 'pristine lawn' types! Where I am (moved here recenetly) there is a bit of a fox problem and it is not unusual to see them walking along the street after dark. Apparently they are a real problem in the back gardens here. But after stepping in what I thought at the time was cat poo (on a path both times, should have realised) and seen my garbage bags ripped open, i decided to order some "Animal Repellent" spray along with my other shopping from Tesco. I have sprayed this around the fences, gates, paths etc and I squirt any garbage bag before putting it out. The label explains that the contents somehow confuse animals' sense of smell. So far (one month on) I have seen no further evidence of fox activity anywhere that i have sprayed this stuff. The container is the same size etc as Roundup weedkiller and it costs about three quid. I've been recommending it to my neighbours as definitely worth a try but they seem fairly confident that something that simple couldn't work! Its early days but it may be that it is working.... -- VX (remove alcohol for email) |
Badgers dig up our lawn for earthworms and the nests of ants and mason bees-
a major excavation can be a territorial marking thing as well as a search for food. They leave conical holes about 60cms and 150cms deep along with general scratchings. Most animals dig for a purpose-what is your fox looking for? Our local foxes leave the occasional fox smell and take chickens fron a nearby paddock, but lawn digging is not one of their activities. |
On this great day..Thu, 16 Jun 2005 14:06:48 +0100, "david taylor"
wrote: Badgers dig up our lawn for earthworms and the nests of ants and mason bees- a major excavation can be a territorial marking thing as well as a search for food. They leave conical holes about 60cms and 150cms deep along with general scratchings. Most animals dig for a purpose-what is your fox looking for? Our local foxes leave the occasional fox smell and take chickens fron a nearby paddock, but lawn digging is not one of their activities. ........Leatherjackets? Mike Pullout "stop" to reply by email |
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