Fantastic Mr Fox

Okay... I admit it... This isn't the most inspiring picture that I have ever posted on this blog but I've posted it because the dullness of the image is no reflection of the great drama and tension that it represents.

The picture is taken right at the top of my allotment where there is a fence to separate our plots from the neighbouring park. If you squint carefully at the middle of the image you should be just about able to make out a neatly dug hole going under the fence. When I first spotted this my gut instinct was to block it back up - we've had problems with rabbits on our plot in the past so I suspected they may be using the hole as a way of getting in and out of the allotments. However, the other morning footprints on a freshly raked bed on my plot suggested otherwise... Instead of the distinctive prints of a rabbit there were the prints of an adult fox with, what looked like, the prints of a litter of fox cubs playing alongside her. It is these prints and nothing else that have saved the hole under the fence for now...

As I mentioned before, we have had problems with rabbits in the past. They are an absolute nuisance and cause terrible chaos on any veg plot. This is why the hint that foxes are around is great news. The best way to deter Bugs Bunny and his pals is to have a resident fox patrolling your site and making sure no unwelcome bunnies help themselves to your hard grown crops. So for now the hole under the fence is safe and I've got everything crossed that the foxes will decide to stick around, keeping the rabbits at bay.

Comments

[Liz]

You'll all be pleased to hear that Mr Fox seems to be winning the battle at the moment. Fingers crossed it stays that way ;-)

[Eunice]

Hope that Mr. Fox would be a good friend to you. I would probably keep this in mind from now on. Thanks for the tip!

[Rachael]

I think I have a fox at my plot too - there were footprints all over the top of my tool chest, and something has been squirted/sprayed on the front of the compost bin...

[Carolyn @ Urban Veg patch]

i wish you luck with keeping your rabbits at bay. It was the urban foxes and their cubs that dug up my seedlings last year so I hope yours are better behaved!