A Clermiston household has been involved in a battle of wits with a pair of cunning foxes for the past year.
The pair woodland critters, that would not look out of place in a Roald Dahl novel, have been wreaking havoc on Paula McGrouther’s vegetable garden.
The Parkgrove resident has said that the problem only started in the last year after their beloved family terrier had to be put down.
But prior to that they had no issues for eleven years at their address.
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And although the intelligent four legged beasts are not eating any of the carrots, sweetcorn, leeks and other vegetables grown in the garden - they are destroying the roots for them as well as for other vegetables.
Not to mention this but they also appear to have breached the various defences that Paula has put in place.
On the fox ordeal, Paula said: “It was through our CCTV that we figured out it was the foxes digging up our vegetable patch. I tried covering it with mesh and wood but that did not work. I then tried a whole bulb of garlic boiled with three scotch bonnet chillies. I liquidised it all together and sprayed it round the veggie box but the fox seemed to like that. Which is odd because foxes are supposed to hate the smell of garlic and chilli peppers.
“They have not eaten anything from my veggie box but have just been digging everything up and destroying the roots. Between them and the snails/slugs I'm not getting much grown this year.
“In one of our videos we spotted them coming out of the shed with something in their mouth - maybe they are hunting rats which is good. We do not feed the foxes as they look to be in good shape.
“We always leave the back door wide open when we are in the house and on more than one occasion in the past week, a fox has walked into the house.
“Staying in Parkgrove we have always had foxes in our back garden but they never used to touch our vegetable patch. But ever since our terrier died last year they have become more brave.
“I'm not that bothered about them really apart from them digging up my veggie box.”
