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Red Fox & Gray Fox
(Vulpes vulpes) (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) Order Carnivora
In human environments, foxes can adapt easily due to the abundance of food and shelter. Humans provide food sources, such as trashcans and pet food bowls that are replenished regularly. Urban landscapes provide a great food supply for foxes because they attract prey or other wildlife species that foxes are looking for. Once a fox has found this prevalent food source, it will look for a den site that is relatively close to that food source. Homes or the area around your home can become a den site due to increases in urbanization or land development in fox inhabited areas, and the steady increase in prey species in these areas does not help. The fox prefers a vacant woodchuck den as close to his prey or hunting grounds as possible. Old barns, low-lying decks, and storage sheds have been used for den sites as well. As long as we continue to urbanize and provide an abundance of food to the fox, they will continue to adapt to human environments and pose a threat to human health.
If you need fox removal services, Blue Ridge Wildlife Management, LLC is here to help you. Please Contact Us to help solve your problem.
Identification
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| Juvenile Gray Fox 9-10 weeks old |
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Juvenile Red Fox 7-8 weeks old |
Description:
Both species are very similar in appearance. They are sometimes mistaken for a domestic dog. The red fox is generally larger in size.
Body Size (Averaged both species):
- Ave. Length (Adult): 35$quot;-46$quot; Tail: 11$quot;-16$quot;
- Average Weight (Adult): 5-15 lbs.
- Young at Birth: 3-3 ½ oz., blind, helpless, grayish brown to black.
- Young 8-12 Days: Eyes open.
- oung 4-5 Weeks: Stay in general area of den & are playful. Develop trait colors.
- Young 8-10 Weeks: Full trait color. Leave den to hunt with parents.
- Young 16-20 Weeks: Milk teeth gone. Young will leave parents, and go out on their own.
Voice & Sounds (Both Species):
Short yaps or barks are usually followed by a single squall. They also communicate with long yells, yowls, screeches, and churrs.
Tracks:
The tracks are oval with 4 toes and claws with a small heel pad behind. The front track is 2 ½$quot; in diameter and the hind track is 2$quot; in diameter.
Other:
Red foxes are capable of climbing trees, and are not native to our country.
Reproduction
Time of Year: January - March
Gestation: Ave. 53 Days
Young Born: March - May
Number of Young: 3-6
Ave. Repro. Age: 1 Year
Weaning: 8-10 Weeks
Other Information
Habitat:
Their habitat consists of mixed woodlands and open pasture.
Home:
They have no special home throughout the year. They mostly sleep on the ground, outside of breeding and rearing the pups.
Den Home:
There are several entrances at times, 8$quot;-15$quot; in diameter, up to 75' in length, 4' under ground with a chamber lined with grass for the young. It is usually a woodchuck den that the female will dig out. There are other chambers for food storage. Other dens may be located nearby to move the pups in case of danger.
Home Range:
3-10 Miles.
Food:
They may travel up to 3 miles hunting food every night. Rabbits, mice, rats, woodchucks, birds, etc. make up their diet.
Habits:
They are mostly nocturnal. While raising the young, the male will hunt during the day to feed the female while she is nursing.
Average Life Span:
They can survive up to 6-10 Years in wild and up to 15 Years in captivity.
Trapping & Removal Techniques
We will set the most humane traps available for the situation. Local laws vary from town to town. Humane padded foothold traps or humane foot snare traps are the preferred traps, but not all localities will allow their use in urban environments. Professional grade single-door humane live cage traps can be used in urban environments, but do not solve the problem fast. Like cage traps, padded foothold traps and foot snares do not harm the animal, and allow us to remove non-target animals without harming them.
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| Two red fox pups in live cage traps |
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Adult gray fox in a padded foothold trap |
Damage and Damaged Areas
Foxes pose a mental threat to most people because of their presence on their property. Generally, they will come close to homes or buildings when other nuisance animals are in large numbers, occasionally looking for poultry and livestock, pet foods, or other small domestic animals. Controlling the other nuisance animals around the home or building, securing fences, barns and buildings, or removing pet food dishes can eliminate most fox problems. The fox prefers a vacant woodchuck den as close to his prey or hunting grounds as possible. Old barns, low-lying decks, and storage sheds have been used for den sites as well. The fox is actually beneficial, in that it is hunting the animals that are a nuisance on your property. Simply controlling the foxes prey species, or food source, around your home or property will help eliminate the presence of a fox.
Health Concerns
Health concerns related to foxes include mites, ticks, lice, fleas, fly larvae,roundworms, tapeworms, and flukes. The common diseases are coccidiosis, distemper and rabies. Mange, caused by a mite, is a frequent problem with foxes. Foxes are one of the most commonly reported rabid animals in Virginia. See the Virginia Department of Health web site for information on rabies, roundworm, mange, and distemper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you charge for fox services?
- Yes. We are not funded by your local, state or federal government. We are a private business and must charge for our services.
- See our Services page or Contact Us for pricing.
Do you guarantee your fox service?
- We guarantee that you will receive the most courteous, honest, and professional wildlife management service in southwest Virginia or it's FREE!
- See Our Customer page for more details.
What does the fox service fee cover?
- The service fee covers us coming out, inspecting the damages, setting traps, if necessary, and keeping them baited as long as it takes to catch the foxes.
What does the price per fox fee cover?
- It is cost effective to the customer, knowing that we may not catch two or more foxes every trip.
- The price per fox fee covers us coming out, removing the contaminated trap and fox from your property, resetting a clean trap with fresh bait, disposal of the fox, and cleaning and disinfecting the contaminated trap for the next customer.
How do you prevent from catching non-target animals?
- We use species-specific baits and lures, but they do not always work the way they should.
- We try our best to set the traps in the area where the foxes are traveling.
Do you charge for non-target animals?
- Yes we do. We still have to come out, release the animal, if needed, or remove the contaminated trap and animal from your property, reset a clean trap with fresh bait, dispose of the animal, if needed, and clean and disinfect the contaminated trap for the next customer.
- It is the customers' decision to have us remove or release non-target animals.
- See our Per Animal Fee page for more details.
What if the trap is stolen?
- The customer is responsible for the trap. If the trap is set in an area that you feel it will get stolen, please let us know so that we can move it.
- There is a replacement fee for stolen traps.
Can I release non-target animals myself?
- No. There is a chance that the animal could turn and bite you.
- See our Per Animal Fee page for more details.
Do I have to sign a contract agreement?
- Yes. In order to protect you and our company, a contract must be signed.
- Our contracts spell out the services to be provided, as well as our guarantee and warranties.
- You should not do work with a company that is not willing to back up their work in writing.
- See our Contract page for more details.
How many traps will you set?
- We set a minimum of two professional grade humane live capture traps.
Why are the traps covered?
- We have rigid metal covers fabricated to cover the top, sides and bottom of the trap for several reasons:
- The top and sides are to protect the fox from the weather.
- The bottom is covered to help reduce any urine or feces from being left on your property. It also reduces damage that the fox can create by trying to dig its way out of the trap.
- This cover also prevents curious people that may pass by from seeing the fox in the trap.
- It also reduces stress to the fox while it is in the trap because it feels protected and unseen.
- We do not use cloth material to cover our traps because the wind may blow it off, and the fox will usually pull the cloth into the trap, leaving it uncovered.
- See our Animal Care section for more details.
Do you put enough food and water in the traps for the fox in case you cannot get to it right a way?
- Yes. There is plenty of food for the fox.
- Yes. In the warmer months, we will attach water bottles to the traps, if necessary. We like to place the traps in shaded areas to reduce heat and dehydration.
How long is the fox service fee good for?
- Your contract will specify the time period that it is good for, which is usually a minimum of 30 days.
- If the fox has not been caught in 30 days, which is rare, we will leave the traps out as long as it takes to catch them at no additional service fee cost.
How long does your standard fox service last once you pull the traps?
- Our standard service fee is usually a minimum of 30 days. If another fox is seen within one week of pulling the traps or after the foxes have been captured, then we will reset the traps.
Why did you pull the traps before 30 days?
- Once the foxes have been captured and we have not had any captures, or you have not seen any activity in a week we will pull the traps. Leaving the traps set will only increase the chances of capturing non-target animals.
- See our Per Animal Fee page for more details on non-target animals.
- You also have the option of purchasing the optional service warranty.
- See our Optional Service Warranty page for more details.
How long does your optional service warranty last for foxes?
- The optional service warranty for faxes will last until December 31st of that calendar year.
- See our Optional Service Warranty page for more details.
What is covered in my optional service warranty fee for foxes?
- Once the target animal(s) have been captured or we pull the traps, then the optional service warranty period will start.
- This warranty will cover coming out, setting traps and re-baiting them as long as it takes to catch the fox, and the per fox or per trip fee.
- See our Optional Service Warranty page for more details.
How often do you re-bait the traps?
- We re-bait the traps every 1 to 5 days, depending on the time of year and weather.
- We like to keep the bait and lure as fresh, or not dried up, as possible. If you feel like the trap needs bait or lure, call us and we will send someone out to re-bait it as soon as possible.
How soon can you set the traps?
- We will typically set the traps the day you call.
- We always have traps available.
- We carry the necessary traps needed in our trucks daily on a seasonal basis to better service the customer the day they call.
- We do not like to put anything off until tomorrow.
How often do you check the traps?
- State law requires that the traps be checked daily.
- We ask you, the customer, to check the traps and notify us when we have an animal in the trap.
- If the customer checks the traps, it will eliminate additional costs to the customer and it will also speed up the removal process.
How do I get in touch with the technician once an animal is trapped?
- Our contract and business cards have our office number on them.
- Our secretary will notify the technician.
- See the Contact Us section for more details.
We live out of town and cannot check the traps everyday.
- We can provide a complete service to you.
- If this is a rental property, we can contact the tenants and ask them to check the traps, if necessary.
We are going out of town next week and do not have anybody that can check the traps daily.
- We will make arrangements to have our technicians check the traps for you.
- An additional cost may be incurred.
Will you pick up trapped animals on the weekend and holidays?
- Yes, we work on the weekends.
- We typically shut the traps down for holidays, so that the customer does not have to be bothered with checking them.
How long does it take for a technician to pick up an animal once I have called it in?
- We will make every effort we can to pick up the animal and reset a trap as soon as possible.
- We often have two to three trucks out at a time, and the secretary will notify the closest technician to your property.
Where do you relocate the animals?
- Our permit only allows us to relocate squirrels.
What do you do with the animal after you catch it?
- Our permit allows us to transport the live animals to another location to be euthanized.
- Foxes are one of the most reported animals with rabies in Virginia.
- Relocating a fox may risk the chance of spreading rabies or other disease to an uninfected area.
How do you euthanize the animals, or $quot;put them to sleep?$quot;
- There are several ways to euthanize an animal. We use the most humane methods approved by the American Veterinary Association.
What if a fox is trapped when you come out to re-bait?
- We will call you or leave a note on your door that we picked up an animal.
What types of bait do you use?
- We use specialty paste baits and lures that are formulated for foxes. Professionals in our industry design them for professionals.
How many traps will you set?
- We set a minimum of two traps, more if available.
- See our Trapping page for more details.
Where do you set the traps?
- As close to the damaged or traveled area as possible.
Can the fox get out of the trap?
- No. We use a professional grade trap with doors that lock once they close.
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