05/10/2026
I'm a red fox. I'm not lost on your sidewalk. I live in your neighborhood full time.
A generation ago, I was a creature of meadow edges, farm hedgerows, and open woodland. Then coyotes expanded into my range — and coyotes kill foxes. Not to eat. To eliminate competition.
So I moved closer to humans, not farther away.
Coyotes avoid the tightest urban areas. I learned to live where they won't — under sheds, decks, and porch foundations, in the neighborhoods where the bigger predator doesn't follow. You're my buffer.
I'm smaller than most people expect. I den under decks in early spring, raise kits through late spring, and disperse them by late summer. A fox family can live under your porch for an entire season without you noticing.
I hunt rodents, rabbits, and ground-nesting birds. I eat fallen fruit and whatever spills from compost bins. I avoid you on purpose — the fox you see at dusk isn't bold. She's chosen the route with the lowest risk.
A fox visible during the day isn't necessarily sick. Nursing mothers often forage in daylight to keep up with the caloric demand of feeding kits.
🦊 If red foxes are on your property:
- A fox denning under a deck in spring will leave on her own by late summer — sealing the entrance too early traps kits inside
- Small bones, loose fur tufts, and a faint musky smell near a crawl space opening suggest an active den. Sprinkle flour at the entrance and check for tracks before taking action
- Don't leave pet food, birdseed, or unsecured compost outside — foxes follow rodents, and rodents follow spilled food. Removing the food source usually moves the fox within a few weeks
- A fox watching you from a distance is assessing, not approaching. Clap or step toward her and she'll leave
She moved in because something bigger moved into the meadow. Your yard was the safer option 🌿
