Repelling the Fantastic Mr. Freeloader
July 7, 2010 6:59 AM Subscribe
Where can I buy ammonia in Sherbrooke, Quebec -- failing that, what are your creative ideas for fox repellent?
A fox has moved in under my front porch (without babies); it's been seen several times by the neighbours. Neither the municipal nor provincial governments offer any wild animal control services, nor does the local SPA (the Quebec version of the SPCA). One local exterminator won't do humane removal; others haven't gotten back to me.
Conventional fox-removal wisdom seems to be to use ammonia-soaked rags and loud music to make the environment fox-unfriendly; the fox will then decamp, and his access hole can then be sealed. But where the heck do I find ammonia? I've tried a few hardware stores, grocery stores (cleaning section) and the local farm supply store (I also looked for "fox repellent" at the hardware and farm supply store); no dice.
The farm store people thought that mothballs or chlorine might do the job in terms of being stinky and nasty; I can't find anything about fox repellent in North America that seems worth pursuing (as opposed to the UK, where it seems that foxes lurk behind every hedgerow).
The farm place also sells coyote urine; I know that foxes and coyotes are natural enemies, so maybe that?
My house faces the woods, so where the fox came from (and will hopefully return to) is no mystery. It's also a street with an apartment block, lots of people with domestic animals and small children living on it, etc., so unfortunately "let the fox be" isn't an option.
A fox has moved in under my front porch (without babies); it's been seen several times by the neighbours. Neither the municipal nor provincial governments offer any wild animal control services, nor does the local SPA (the Quebec version of the SPCA). One local exterminator won't do humane removal; others haven't gotten back to me.
Conventional fox-removal wisdom seems to be to use ammonia-soaked rags and loud music to make the environment fox-unfriendly; the fox will then decamp, and his access hole can then be sealed. But where the heck do I find ammonia? I've tried a few hardware stores, grocery stores (cleaning section) and the local farm supply store (I also looked for "fox repellent" at the hardware and farm supply store); no dice.
The farm store people thought that mothballs or chlorine might do the job in terms of being stinky and nasty; I can't find anything about fox repellent in North America that seems worth pursuing (as opposed to the UK, where it seems that foxes lurk behind every hedgerow).
The farm place also sells coyote urine; I know that foxes and coyotes are natural enemies, so maybe that?
My house faces the woods, so where the fox came from (and will hopefully return to) is no mystery. It's also a street with an apartment block, lots of people with domestic animals and small children living on it, etc., so unfortunately "let the fox be" isn't an option.
Best answer: A little googling seems to indicate [in a few fish-tank forum sites] that finding pure ammonia in Canada is fairly difficult. Here in the states you can buy it just about anywhere.
Some suggestions from those threads:
Some suggestions from those threads:
I live in Winnipeg, Canada and Safeway has their own brand of ammonia selling for $2.85. I picked some up today actually. It's with the cleaning supplies (like Mr. Clean, Lysol) and not with the Javex/bleach. I was in Wal-Mart and they didn't have it.
In canada, Safeway Stores and many Walmarts.
Boots stores have it as well as Canadian Tire stores in the cleaning section (obviously. I'm not sure if Boots is in Canada or the UK however).
Got mine at Home Hardware in Ontario. I think the brand is Old Countryposted by chazlarson at 8:02 AM on July 7, 2010
Water Scarecrow. I have a friend in upstate NY who has been using it in her backyard against raccoons who says it works wonders.
posted by zarq at 9:26 AM on July 7, 2010
posted by zarq at 9:26 AM on July 7, 2010
Best answer: Might not be a suggestion that you want to ponder, but a lot of the farmers I know swear by it: human urine. Also works for minks. So, for example, if you have something eating the chickens in the coop, you pee around the perimeter of the coop. Predator doesn't like the smell of human urine, goes elsewhere.
Best of all, it's free!
posted by bolognius maximus at 10:27 AM on July 7, 2010
Best of all, it's free!
posted by bolognius maximus at 10:27 AM on July 7, 2010
Response by poster: Well, I wound up going with the urine option -- human urine, that is. A flour ring around the entrance shows no tracks overnight, so I'm going to wait and see what happens during the day today.
posted by Shepherd at 3:50 AM on July 8, 2010
posted by Shepherd at 3:50 AM on July 8, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by andrewzipp at 7:17 AM on July 7, 2010