Foxes eating squirrel food at run way

[MapleRidgesquirrel]

I looked out the window yesterday and saw 2 foxes eating the squirrel food that had fallen off of the squirrel run way. I noticed a mom fox with 3 babies under the neighbors shed later on that day. Wondering if I should stop feeding the squirrels for awhile to discourage the foxes from visiting my yard during the day.

[CritterMom]

They are attracted by the food AND the squirrels. The foxes around here absolutely LOVE Mazuri rodent blocks! Making both food sources go away is about the only way. They are nesting/raising babies now so are looking at food sources they normally wouldn't look at...

[Diggie's Friend]

This is because foxes aren't strictly carnivores.

[MapleRidgesquirrel]

I noticed one of the foxes looking like it was sleeping next to a stick pile in the middle of the woods. This is also an area that several of my regulars pass by daily to come to my house for treats including an albino squirrel. Does anyone know if foxes will act like they are sleeping in order to catch their prey?

[Vox]

My dad sprayed fox urine (sold in bottles) around his property. It seemed to work, since the theory is that the foxes believe another fox is moved in on the area. I see that you can also purchase wolf urine in bottles, but I have no idea what effect that will have on squirrels. I do know that the rabbits didn't seem to care one whit, which was the point at the time. I'll ask if it seemed to have a negative effect on the local squirrels.

[MapleRidgesquirrel]

Thanks , I'm willing to give it a try.

[Diggie's Friend]

Does anyone know if foxes will act like they are sleeping in order to catch their prey?

Foxes moreover are nocturnal; they may be seen out during the day, but are the most active at night.

Fox urine works great, yet it comes with a price that isn't just the cost of the source. Though some of the fox urine supply is noted to be obtained from zoos and wildlife preserves, most of it comes from captive foxes raised for the production of their fur.

https://www.predatorpee.com/predatorpee-collection.htm

I would try using human male urine donated by a relative or friend to see if it works as well. Wearing vinyl gloves, pour the urine into a spray bottle preferably over a sink. Set the nozzle on stream to spray around the boarders of your property, or between the area you are trying to inhibit foxes coming in from, and the area you want to inhibit them from coming into.

This actually was found to stop the far too curious chipmunks from crossing the street from my friend's yard.

if it can send that kind of a message, it should work to send the same to the foxes that there is an even larger predator that inhabits the area.

[MapleRidgesquirrel]

Just saw the fox walk through woods and noticed the squirrels did not make their predator sounds. Several of the squirrels were on the ground so I clapped to scare the fox and the squirrels did climb up the trees. A little later the fox came back through the woods with a dead squirrel and noticed again that the squirrels aren't doing their predator alert calls to alert the other squirrels. Has anyone else noticed this before or know why the squirrels wouldn't make their alarm sounds ? Thanks

[MyBushyTail]

I have also noticed here, at times, that none of the squirrels alarm call either when a red fox is around. I don't know why that is and would love to know. Some of the squirrels would just look at the fox as if they didn't know what it was? The crows go wild when they see a fox, they make so much noise and even swoop down on it, most times they will do all that they can to chase it away. When the squirrels hear the crows making all of this commotion some will run for cover and start alarm calling. I have been having a fox hunting/killing squirrels during the daytime problem for years now, last year and this year it has really gotten bad. Here by me the foxes hunting squirrels during the day mostly happens in late March, April and early May when the vixen foxes have their cubs/pups. They are killing several squirrels daily all throughout my neighborhood. I have tried everything humanely possible to deter them but nothing has worked. The fox/foxes here by me have always been super bold, aren't afraid of humans and even killed squirrels within several feet of me. I am sorry that you too are having foxes kill squirrels (during the day).