Foxes Under the Porch

[Dennisfly]

At my city house (suburbs) I looked out the front window to see a mother fox and seven pups frolicking on the front lawn and porch. The porch is wood with considerable space underneath it and they are coming and going underneath it at will. There are droppings on the top of the porch deck. The back and side of the house adjoins heavily wooded area.

Do I need to be concerned about damage under the porch, rabies, or anything else? If so, what's the best way to get rid of them?

 

[wjmst]

Anytime wild animals are with their young there is need to be concerned.

I would probably call the local animal control people and see what they say.

When we had a turkey attack us the game commission didn't want bothered with it and told us just to shoot it and then let them know. So that is what I did.

I doubt they would recommend that in you case though.

 

[Western]

Just My 2 cents,

I personely would enjoy watching them, AS LONG as they don't pose a threat to you and yours. I would give them plenty of space to avoid any conflicts. Soon enough they will be gone and you have some neat photos and stories to tell.

You may want to "treat" under the porch wilst there out roaming for fleas. I would use a "bomb" or a spray of some sort, or even a granual as a preventitive.

Being an avid outdoors type, I enjoy them, I have raised a couple of foxes and they can be quite comical at times.

I think its kewl they picked you as a landlord and heay at least a skunk didn't move in!

 

[mjarrels]

Call your County Trapper and have them relocated.

mark

 

[Ridgewalker]

Here's another vote for watching them and letting them grow. They will disappear soon enough. Then if you like seal the porch so mama can't come back next year.

 

[RonMar]

Well they look healthy enough. They will also probably move on in a bit. As soon as the pups are big enough to start learning to hunt, she will have to take them into the field anyway. The pups look young, so mom probably pushed them out under your porch. Because she is a mom, she may be a little bit protective, but she also moved into your world, so she may be a little more tollerant of human presence. If they bother you, you can make a ruckus and scare them away and back into the wild, or you can call animal control and they can come and deal with it. If you scare them away, you can then close up the porch sides to keep them from comming back to "home". Since she used your porch as a den once, with success, she may come back in the future.

Rabies is only an issue if you are bitten as the virus is very fragile and requires direct warm moist to warm moist contact(mouth to blood stream). A few degrees of temp change kills it. They might carry other diseases from the wild that may effect domestic animals, but since domestic animals are typically vaccinated, this is unlikley. They may bring fleas, so a spray under the porch and around the periphery of your home that will target fleas may be in order.

 

[Lasgambler]

Here's another vote for watching them and letting them grow. They will disappear soon enough. Then if you like seal the porch so mama can't come back next year.

I'm with Ridgewalker. When I lived in Slidell,LA. I provided water for a family of fox and really enjoyed watching them. They did not cause any problem.

 

[Tig]

We have been watching a family that lives under the cottage two doors down. They moved there from a den about 200 yds away to avoid people.
Sunday night I was fishing down the end of our yard and moma fox snuck up behind us to try and take a walleye that I had tossed on the shore. I expect that the long weekend will make things too busy for her and the family will move on again.

 

[scesnick]

You didn't mention if you have children. If so, I would advise getting rid of the fox. if not, and you enjoy watching them, why not let them alone and ejoy the show... Of course keeping your distance is important, the mother WILL NOT take kindly to anyone messing with her babies no matter how good your intentions are...

If you want to get rid of them and not involve the authorities, you could try going down to Walmart and getting some Coyote urine and putting it near the fox hole.
NOTE: DO NOT OPEN THE COYOTE URINE IN THE HOUSE !!!!!

 

[Egon]

It's assumed you do not have pets?? If so I'd just leave them alone.

Or you could put out some feed and make some friends or pets.

They should be good for controlling the local rodent population if you have one.