MESA, Ariz. — A grandmother living in Mesa is trying to figure out how to get a family of foxes out of her backyard.
Arvella Essley said the nine foxes were first spotted by her grandchildren when they visited her two months ago.
Essley said the foxes, who have made a home underneath her shed, have ruined her tomatoes and eaten her neighbor’s chickens.
“I’m just afraid they're not going to leave my place because it's probably cooler than being out in the open and they love underneath that shed,” Essley said.
Essley said she’s contacted the City of Mesa Animal Control and Arizona Game and Fish but has had no luck.
Essley said she’s been referred to companies that would charge her nearly $2000 but noted she lives on a fixed income and can not afford to pay anyone.
“I’ve called all over trying to get help,” Essley said. “I can’t deal with this, I’m 83 and it’s very frightening to me.”
Essley said she tried using wolf urine, ammonia and even mothballs to get rid of the foxes but nothing had worked.
12News reached out again to Arizona Game and Fish and was told the reason they couldn’t pick up the foxes was that they did not have the equipment to trap the foxes.
In addition, Arizona Game and Fish suggested Essley use a squirt gun filled with 10 percent ammonia and water to get rid of the foxes.
“[They told me to] squirt the adult foxes and that would deter them to leave and to leave my back gate open because I have a brick fence,” Essley recounted “and maybe the babies will follow them out in the alley and leave my house.”
Arizona Game and Fish said they would touch base with Essley in a week as a follow-up.
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