Problems with Foxes.
One problem that is prevalent in the months of June and July are young cubs that dig up areas of the lawn. Most are looking for leather jackets, grubs or lava. Alternatively, if you have placed a fish, blood or bone meal based fertiliser on your lawn, the foxes will be attracted to this since its smells like buried food and thus encourages them to dig.
Both foxes and cats are active at night and meetings between the two are probably a nightly occurrence. Observations of such meetings show that for the most part they either ignore each other or else the foxes are nervous of the cats.
Foxes will attack pets such as rabbits or guinea pigs and also poultry.
Foxes can carry a number of diseases such as mange, rabies and parasitic worms such as Trichinella and Toxocara. Whilst it is possible for humans to contract these conditions, it is not known whether foxes do actually pass them on to people or their pets and if they do, how serious a problem is it.
Canine Mange (Sarcoptes Scabiei) Var canis
The
mite that causes the terrible condition that we see in foxes, along with many
other animals is the mite known as Sarcoptes Scabiei, the mite belongs to the
family Sarcoptidae. The life cycle of the mite is usually between 17 - 21 days.
The adults breed in a moulting pocket on the surface of the skin and once
fertilised the female starts to excavate a burrow through the horny layer of the
skin at a rate of 2 - 3 mm a day. Whilst burrowing the female mite lays her eggs
behind her and leaves fecal deposits as she goes. Once the eggs hatch as larvae
they burrow to the surface of the skin where they travel around the animal’s
body feeding, eventually resting in a moulting pocket. A new generation of mites
will be produced every three weeks. Since the mites prefer skin with little
hair, as the condition worsens and more hair is lost, the mites will eventually
colonise the whole of the body. The mite Sarcoptes Scabiei are fairly host
specific, although they will try and attack other hosts for periods of time e.g.
humans. cats and dogs are also at risk of catching mange!
Urban foxes have become particularly adept at scavenging for food in our waste bins and bags, and will sometimes fight small pets for scraps of pet food.
Foxes are also susceptible to Weil’s disease (Leptospirosis) which can be passed to both humans and domestic pets via the fox’s urine. Weil’s disease causes high fever, vomiting, muscle aches, chills and jaundice, amongst other symptoms.
The urban fox’s bin raiding habits can be a nuisance, too, when a bin or waste bag is dragged along, leaving a trail of rubbish, which needs to be cleaned up quickly.
During the mating season, between December and February, foxes can be heard calling each other, using “unearthly” screams, which can be disturbing.
Advanced Rodent Control.