How to stop foxes pooing in the garden – and how to clean it up 

It’s easy to blame a suspicious smell on the dog – until you feel that unmistakable squidge of fox poo between your toes on a late-night dash to the bins. And once you’ve smelt it, you know it’s not your beloved Bella that dealt that particular stench... But don’t let those poopy little garden invaders ruin your evening (or your slippers). This guide is here to help you deal with the mess – from showing you how to clean up fox poo and how to stop foxes pooing in garden borders and lawns once and for all. 

Why does a fox poo in gardens of all places?

Part of learning how to stop foxes pooing in the garden is learning why they do it in the first place. And the simple answer is that it’s all about territory. Foxes use their poop (and urine) to scent-mark their manor. This is a powerful message to other foxes that your garden is ‘taken’.  

The stronger the scent, the better protected their territory is. So that’s why you’ll find fox poo on lawn areas, on your patio, up high on your garden furniture, around the borders – basically, everywhere. It sends out an almighty waft, which is off-putting to other foxes (as well as to us humans). Fortunately, there are various things you can do to keep foxes (and their poop) away. 

How to stop foxes pooping in my garden

The best way to stop foxes pooing in garden borders, on the lawn, on the patio, etc. is to stop them from entering your garden at all. That’s right – we’re not going to just give you the best cleaning tips, we’re going to help you with the root of the problem.  

So, to stop fox poo in the garden, you need to make it as unappealing as possible. Here’s how: 

• Keep your garden tidy. To stop foxes pooing in gardens, make your garden as clear and tidy as possible. Foxes like overgrown areas as they provide shelter and places to hide. As well as cutting back plants, also tidy away objects that foxes find interesting, like old shoes and gardening gloves. 
• Keep your bins securely closed. Another really important part of knowing how to stop foxes pooing in the garden is knowing how to remove the things that tempt them to your property in the first place – and that’s often food. They’ll very happily scavenge through bins that are easy to get into, so make sure your rubbish is shut securely. 
• Get rid of fox scents. We’ve already seen the importance of scent marking in a fox’s life, so to stop fox poo in the garden you’ll want to remove their scent from any hard surfaces like driveways or patios. Many cleaning products only mask the scent temporarily, so to actually remove it you’ll need to use a special enzyme-based product, which you can get from your vet. Be prepared for daily washing for a couple of weeks, but the fox should eventually get the hint. 
• Place your shed on a concrete base. Foxes love to dig under sheds and other outbuildings to create a safe den for their cubs. By placing yours on a concrete base, you’ll take away this opportunity, thus making your garden less appealing. 

Cleaning up fox poo in gardens – what you need 

Now you know how to stop foxes pooping in your garden. But what about all the scatterings of fox poo on lawn areas, in your flower borders and squished into hard surfaces? It isn’t going to clean itself. So, you’ll want to know the easiest way to clean up all the existing fox poo in your garden spaces.  

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• Rubber gloves 
• Kitchen towels 
• Scented eco-friendly poop bag 
• Pet-safe disinfectant 

How to clean up fox poo – step-by-step instructions 

When you find fox poo on the lawn, leap into action with this poop-cleaning process: 

1. Pop on your rubber gloves. This is not a barehanded job. Ever.    
2. Use a strong piece of kitchen towel to lift the fox poop. If you’d rather keep everything at arm’s length, you can use a pooper-scooper. 
3. Pop the offending poo into a poop bag. Scented ones have the advantage of not stinking out your outside bin, and also mask the scent to better deter the fox. 
4. If the poo was on a hard surface like a patio/decking/driveway, you can take the extra step of deodorising the area and removing any germs and bacteria with a special pet-safe disinfectant product (that doesn’t do any harm to any animals). Make sure to follow the instructions. 

Now you know how to stop foxes pooing in the garden, your lawn is officially safe territory again – no more squelchy surprises underfoot or early morning poop patrols. It’s one less grim job to worry about, but while you’re out there, why not give the patio some attention too? Our guide to how to clean a patio naturally – even if it’s really grubby is packed with simple, satisfying ways to get it looking fresh again!