Picture the scene. You’ve planted all your spring bulbs, only to find foxes have had a field day digging them up the next morning. Seeing as you’ve landed on this page, perhaps you don’t need to imagine. But you don’t need to imagine a solution, as wildlife experts have revealed four tried and tested methods to stop foxes digging up bulbs.
While there are plenty of ways to keep foxes out of your garden, these curious creatures often find a way in anyway. And if you have created a wildlife garden, you may consider foxes a welcome visitor to your garden, as you would pollinators and birds.
Foxes may look cute, but these curious and clever animals can become a little too enthusiastic about digging up bulbs. This is what you can do to stop it.
Why do foxes dig up bulbs?
First things first, we need to learn why foxes like to dig up bulbs, and the answer is that in most cases, foxes aren’t actually after your bulbs at all.
‘Foxes have an excellent sense of smell, and newly planted areas can be irresistible to them,’ says Richard Scholfield, woodland expert at Woodlands.co.uk.
‘They’re often searching for worms, beetle larvae, or even food scraps left in the soil. Sometimes the scent of certain fertilisers, particularly those based on bone or fish, can make a flower bed seem like the perfect place to dig for a snack.’
If you want to stop those pesky foxes from digging up your bulbs, so you can achieve that beautiful floral display come spring, here are four ways to stop foxes from digging up your bulbs.
1. Cover planted areas
‘To protect your planting, cover new bulb beds with chicken wire or mesh just below the soil surface — bulbs can grow through, but foxes can’t dig down,’ Mike Carthew, a gardening teacher and founder of Garden Footprint.
This humane method won’t harm any foxes trying to dig, and as you place it just below the soil surface, the mesh wire doesn’t look as visually unappealing as other barrier methods. Plus, it’s an affordable method as chicken wire can be picked up for just £12.99 at B&Q.
2. Avoid attractants
Some fertilisers smell very attractive to foxes, so they can have the undesired effect of actually encouraging a curious fox to dig.
‘Skip fertilisers with animal-derived ingredients during planting, these can send mixed signals to inquisitive foxes,’ advises Richard.
Instead, opt for a seaweed-based or plant-based fertiliser, such as MARPHYL Organic Liquid Fertiliser, £14.90 at Amazon, which shouldn’t attract the attention of a fox’s sensitive nose.
3. Plant strong smelling bulbs
Another way to deter foxes is to plant strong-smelling bulbs that foxes don’t like.
‘Mixing in strongly scented bulbs such as alliums or fritillaries also helps, as foxes dislike the smell and are less likely to disturb them,’ says Mike.
I’d argue that planting alliums is always a good idea. Alliums reward you with beautiful, fluffy purple heads come spring, but foxes don’t like their strong fragrance, so avoid digging areas with this scent. Now is a great time to plant alliums, and you can pick them up for just £5.95 at Sarah Raven.
4. Use natural deterents
‘Natural scents like garlic, chilli, or citrus can make the soil less inviting, while still keeping the area safe for all wildlife,’ says Richard.
Foxes are very sensitive to scent, so they will avoid digging areas that smell like chilli, citrus or garlic. One of the easiest ways to use a scent deterrent is to sprinkle a little bit of chilli powder over your planted bulb. This also works to stop squirrels from digging up bulbs.
Using these safe and easy methods to stop foxes digging up bulbs gives you a better chance of achieving the spring floral display you’re dreaming of.
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