Animal excrement in the garden is not only unsightly, it also sometimes poses certain dangers, such as the fox tapeworm. It is therefore important to be able to recognize fox droppings and remove them properly.
distinguish feces
Various animals defecate in the garden. On the one hand pets such as cats or dogs and on the other hand various wild animals. Examples in addition to the fox:
VH Hall (discussion), What is this, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE
- squirrel
- badger (rare)
- marten (common)
- Hare or deer (very rare)
- Hedgehog
- mice and rats
- shrews and bats
- Raccoon (generally rare, but locally common)
Some types of droppings differ from fox droppings at first glance. These include the individual dry droppings from deer or rabbits and the smaller, also dry droppings from mice or rats. Shrews and bats also leave smaller, dry balls of droppings, but these are not as firm and fall apart easily. The remains of the chitin shells of eaten insects become visible.
Owls and falcons leave no excrement leftovers below their nocturnal resting places. These are easily recognizable as containing small animal bones and fur remnants. Usually the appearance is not as dark as animal excrement.
Other distinguishing features
The badger often deposits its droppings in the same shallow hollows in the earth, so-called latrines. The appearance can differ from time to time. Even raccoons often always use the same storage space. In contrast, fox droppings are deposited individually. It is dark, sometimes gray in color and tapers to a point at the end. It is larger than, for example, squirrel or hedgehog droppings, but like these it contains different food residues:
- Berry
- seed
- Cherry stones (also common in marten droppings)
- feathers
- fur or hair
Notice: Because foxes mark their territory, they tend to place their droppings in high places.
remove animal feces
Foxes are rarely in the garden, but if they find something to eat, they will always come back and mark their territory accordingly. So it can happen that fox droppings are found in the garden again and again, which over time can also be easily recognized by their appearance. The elimination can be done in different ways. The easiest way is to bury the animal droppings on the spot. However, this is not possible everywhere, for example in the sandbox or on the lawn. Even in the vegetable patch, this method is not suitable because tapeworm eggs are very resistant.
Other options
If you have a dog and you have a poo bag for it, you can also use it for fox poo. Then throw the bag in the household waste.
If you have a compost heap in the garden that you only use for flower beds, you can also dispose of the animal droppings there. It is best to use a shovel and pick up the fox droppings and the soil underneath. Finally, clean each tool thoroughly with hot water and soap.
Notice: If you have to handle animal droppings, be sure to use gloves!
Precautions
It goes without saying that animal droppings are better not touched with bare hands. Children and pets should be kept away if possible. In the case of small children in particular, care must be taken to ensure that no animal droppings, regardless of the animal, get into their mouths. Your own pets can also have worms in their digestive tract. They need to be dewormed regularly. Dogs should learn not to leave dog poo all over the yard, even if they are allowed to run free.
Notice: Cats like to bury their droppings in loose soil or sand. Therefore, always cover sandboxes after playing.