Foxes and milk

[katgod]

After many years of trouble free milk deliveries we recently have had our milk attacked by foxes - chewing the plastic bottles and resulting in milk steaming down the front path. Wasteful and annoying. Tried hanging a bag half way up the front door which worked for a while but today they managed to jump up and another bottle of milk and some bread got nibbled at. Does anyone have a simple fool/fox proof method to protect the milk? Loathe to stop having the milk delivered.

Thanks for any advice

[Green Goose]

There's lots of ways -depending on how creative and determined you are.

1. Simple solution- get a piece of corrugated plastic of the type that estate agents boards are made of size about 20" x 20". Buy a pack of blue carpet tacks (cost about ?1.50) Press the carpet tacks through the corrugated plastic in one direction spaced about 2" apart. If you want some plastic, PM me your address and I willl drop some off if you are not too far away.

Place the spikey plastic mat on the floor fixed with a few dabs of blu-tac under where your bag is hanging. That should sort him but whatever approach you take to solving this problem be prepared for foxy to take his revenge on you by leaving a "deposit" on your doorstep.

2. Make up a chilli and mustard sandwich and put it in a paper bag and leave that there overnight so that foxy gets to it before the delivery.

3. More expensive - buy a mesh box, like a cat/dog carrier and place milk etc inside but kake sure itt is firmly anchored as foxy will work on it.

GG

[Sue]

How cruel.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Get a lever, attached by string to a pulley on a weighted arm. Balanced on one end of the arm should be a bowling ball with an angled ramp at the bottom of which should be an old boot attached to a piece of string suspended on a central pole. At a 90 degree angle to the boot should be some large 'garden sized' jenga bricks arranged in a domino formation snaking around the front garden. Just with reach of the where the last of the jenga bricks will fall upon triggering the 'trap' should be a large comedy honking horn (the type clowns use). This is probably the simplest way to deter foxes.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Basically this:

[chris-]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hardcastle-Large-Metal-Lockable-Parcel/dp/B0148N0Y4G/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1489509410&sr=8-7&keywords=parcel+box

You can get parcel boxes made for this from amazon. Handy to have when you are out for deliveries.

Dont put spikes out trying to hurt animals it wont solve anything.

[DulwichFox]

Basically The Fox is a dog.. Some dogs have no problems digesting milk and dairy products. Yet others experience acute intestinal distress ? like gas, diarrhea or vomiting.

Abandoned Baby foxes can be bottle fed with a proprietary puppy milk such as Lactol (but not cow's milk, which has the wrong balance of fats.

Not sure if adult foxes drink milk. Do dog owners give their dogs milk. ???

DulwichFox

[rendelharris]

RRR's suggestion is excellent, should you follow the rather unpleasant suggestions of GG please make sure that your insurance is sufficient to cover third party claims when the milkman, postman and other visitors get carpet tacks in their feet, oh and be prepared to take time off to appear in court for prosecution under the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, which makes it illegal to "inflict unnecessary suffering, to mutilate, kick, beat, nail or otherwise impale, stab, burn, stone, crush, drown, drag or asphyxiate any wild mammal."

I'm sure you, katgod, wouldn't dream of following that advice anyway - with a few lengths of scrap lumber, a couple of hinges, some nails and a catch should be easy enough to knock up into a rough foxproof box, or there are plenty of "milk safe" products available online.

ETA or just a poundshop waste bin with a brick on the lid!

[Green Goose]

rendelharris Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> RRR's suggestion is excellent, should you follow

> the rather unpleasant suggestions of GG please

> make sure that your insurance is sufficient to

> cover third party claims when the milkman, postman

> and other visitors get carpet tacks in their feet,

> oh and be prepared to take time off to appear in

> court for prosecution under the Wild Mammals

> (Protection) Act 1996, which makes it illegal to

> "inflict unnecessary suffering, to mutilate, kick,

> beat, nail or otherwise impale, stab, burn, stone,

> crush, drown, drag or asphyxiate any wild

> mammal."

>

I was wondering just how long it would take you RH to give us another of your Liberal judgemental contributions.

You bang on about the Wild Animals (Protection Act), so may we assume you are sufficiently motivated to campaign against the humble mouse trap that uses a spring to crush the little critters?

GG

[rendelharris]

Green Goose Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I was wondering just how long it would take you RH

> to give us another of your Liberal judgemental

> contributions.

>

> You bang on about the Wild Animals (Protection

> Act), so may we assume you are sufficiently

> motivated to campaign against the humble mouse

> trap that uses a spring to crush the little

> critters?

>

> GG

Glad I didn't disappoint. It's not actually my liberal judgemental view though (though unlike your ilk I don't regard it as an insult to be called a liberal) but the law of the land. It's not illegal to set a humane trap that kills instantly, to set a trap such as you suggested which has no other purpose than to maim a wild mammal is against the law. Sorry if not being allowed to maim wild animals upsets you.

[Green Goose]

rendelharris Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Green Goose Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

>

> > I was wondering just how long it would take you

> RH

> > to give us another of your Liberal judgemental

> > contributions.

> >

> > You bang on about the Wild Animals (Protection

> > Act), so may we assume you are sufficiently

> > motivated to campaign against the humble mouse

> > trap that uses a spring to crush the little

> > critters?

> >

> > GG

>

> Glad I didn't disappoint. It's not actually my

> liberal judgemental view though (though unlike

> your ilk I don't regard it as an insult to be

> called a liberal) but the law of the land.

It would be disappointing if you hadn't responded as you just love being judgmental and besides, you always take any bait that passes your nose.

[rendelharris]

Green Goose Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It would be disappointing if you hadn't responded

> as you just love being judgmental and besides, you

> always take any bait that passes your nose.

Yeah, it's terrible the way I don't like people who advocate illegal maiming of wild animals, I feel really bad about it.

[Sue]

A glance at Green Goose's other posts on the forum will tell you all you need to know about the kind of person they are.

Or actually, just a glance at their posts on this thread .....

[Sazzle30]

Buy two terracotta plant pots - ask the milk man to put the milk in one pot and then the other pot (upside down) on top. This is what my mum does in Wiltshire to stop the foxes piercing the foil on her milk bottles.

[Sue]

Sazzle30 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Buy two terracotta plant pots - ask the milk man

> to put the milk in one pot and then the other pot

> (upside down) on top. This is what my mum does in

> Wiltshire to stop the foxes piercing the foil on

> her milk bottles.

I'd have thought the foxes would just knock the top pot off to get at the milk?

[singalto]

Here we go again! A simple question turns nasty..

[rendelharris]

singalto Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Here we go again! A simple question turns nasty..

As one of the noted animal lovers of this forum, singalto, would you suggest that we just let it pass when someone suggests illegal maiming of wild animals?

[Seabag]

Our foxes prefer Almond milk and gluten free bread

They're V London Foxes

[positronic]

I have lived in West Dulwich for 11 years and next door but one has a ram-shackled shed and underneath is a foxes den. I work odd hours and don't get to sleep normally till early hours of the morning (about 3am), a lot of time it can be a nightmare because the noise the foxes make around this time. If not by there calling, it will be setting off car alarms when their cubs are playing. When I first heard it my then patrner and I thought a neightbour had a large avery nearby as I thought the noise were eminating from parats and alike.

I lived in rural Oxfordshire before and never experienced noise pollution from wildlife, but moving to the city it's been a nightmare. If it's not the foxes it's the magpies in the morning. Not only is it the noise but the mess by the former and the faeces they leave in the gardens, public pathways on the doorsteps et cetera

I respect all life, but am an advocate of urban fox culling as they are vermin, as sadly humans will not change their lifestyle and habits to discourage foxes natural ability to scavenge

I'm an animal lover, but just sometimes I wish I could shoot the bloody vermin especially when it effects ones sleeping pattern which can cause unfortunate detrimental unconscious processes.

Here's one answer to the vermin,

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/hundreds-of-foxes-to-be-culled-in-london-after-christmas-celebrations-a3426776.html

No doubt there will be some numpties trolling this article and I will not be following this so save your time. You may wonder why on earth I would contribute to this. It is only human behaviour that causes foxes to become a nuisance and therefor classed as vermin, and unfortunately it has had a real tangible impact on my sleeping pattern and in turn effected my mental health. I feel I'm just applying a different perspective, that's all.

Thank you my most valued community

[Mystic Mog]

rendelharris Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> singalto Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Here we go again! A simple question turns

> nasty..

>

> As one of the noted animal lovers of this forum,

> singalto, would you suggest that we just let it

> pass when someone suggests illegal maiming of wild

> animals?

No need to have a pop at Singalto, you should be well aware that is not what he/she meant. Yes, certainly have a go at GG, he fully deserved it although he could have very well been on a 'wind up'!

There have been some very good suggestions for the problem, hope some were helpful.

[rendelharris]

turtle Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> No need to have a pop at Singalto, you should be

> well aware that is not what he/she meant. Yes,

> certainly have a go at GG, he fully deserved it

> although he could have very well been on a 'wind

> up'!

>

> There have been some very good suggestions for the

> problem, hope some were helpful.

I wasn't "having a pop," Turtle, rather trying to point out that sometimes some people, like Goose Green, make "nastiness" inevitable by saying things so unpleasant it's impossible to let them pass.

If he was on a wind up then the sort of person who thinks it amusing to wind people up about cruelty to animals is a pretty crummy individual, no? But his previous posts are of much the same sort - he's just a nasty bit of work, I'm afraid.

[Whittler]

Just for interest, it's a well researched fact that culling of urban foxes just does not work. It has been found to lead to increased numbers, if anything, as fox populations are self-regulating and the breeding rate will inevitably increase in areas where there is a smaller fox population. Mange is more of a natural threat to the urban fox population, and recent theories as to why it seems more prevalent in urban rather than rural foxes have looked at the poor diet (discarded fried chicken bones and the remains of takeaways etc) of the city dwelling fox, which means they are not getting their vitamins!

Interesting article here: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23167-culling-urban-foxes-just-doesnt-work/

Hope you find a good (and humane) solution to your particular fox-related problem, katgod...a 'safe box' where the delivery can be left securely seems the best option.

[Sue]

I think people should be called out whether or not that results in exchanges like the above and whether or not it might be a wind-up.

To ignore it implies you agree with it. On this kind of relatively small scale that may do little harm.

But it leads to not speaking out in the wider world when there are much more important things you see are wrong.

And that can do a great deal of harm.

[Mystic Mog]

Rendelharris, glad you were not 'having a pop' sometimes your remarks can seem like that. On your bike GG.

[peckham_ryu]

katgod Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> After many years of trouble free milk deliveries

> we recently have had our milk attacked by foxes -

> chewing the plastic bottles and resulting in milk

> steaming down the front path. Wasteful and

> annoying. Tried hanging a bag half way up the

> front door which worked for a while but today

> they managed to jump up

Interesting that it's just started happening. Ingenious behaviour from foxy! I wonder if it's being learned, like when birds suddenly started learning how to peck through milk bottle tops in the 1920's.

What amazing, clever little animals they are!

Some good ideas on out-smarting them on here. We aren't called homo sapiens for nothing, so finding a harmless solution should be no problem for anyone with an IQ higher than a fox's. (Although one poster's IQ is exceeded by his testosterone count.)

Here's another plan for the mix:

- put a large, empty container inside your door

- hosepipe from your letter box to the container

- funnel on other end of hosepipe, sticking out of your letter box

- milkman empties milk into the funnel

HTH :)