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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Jackie Lambert of Woolgar Avenue is trying to figure out how to get rid of some uninvited guests.

Four foxes have been enjoying her garden - tearing out onions, blueberry bushes, carrots and other plants.

Jackie Lambert has some uninvited guests in her backyard. Four foxes are wreaking havoc on her carrots in her garden. - Jason Emiry/NNSL photo

"I cannot open my greenhouse because they go dig in it," said Lambert. "They dig in my flower bed in the front. They pushed all my onions out of the bed."

The foxes have been causing problems for a month.

She contacted the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and they suggested she try using ammonia to ward off the annoying pests.

"That stuff has an awful smell," said Lambert. "I cannot put that in my flower bed or my garden."

Lambert is planning to put up a fence and gate to keep foxes out.

Raymond Bourget, a senior wildlife officer with ENR, said that is a good idea.

"Some people have backyards that back onto hinterland areas," said Bourget. "They don't put up fences, but they put in gardens that attract prey species. The foxes will be attracted by the prey species that come into the yard."

He said Lambert needs to find out what is attracting the animals.

"There is a reason why they are there," said Bourget. "She needs to determine what that reason is. Any home owner needs to determine what's attracting the animal. Then they have to deal with that attraction. Food as well as shelter can be an attractant for the animals.

"If she finds a place where they're getting under her house, using it as shelter, she can certainly scare them out of there."

He said some ways of scaring foxes away include banging on things, using rags soaked with ammonia or spraying the animals with water. In fact, there are sensor-activated sprinklers that can be put in yards.

ENR prefers not to trap the animals, he said.

"Unless they are actually physically damaging property there is not much more that she can do," said Bourget. "She would have to show that there is actual damage happening or that they are a real danger to herself or a pet."

City of Yellowknife bylaws prohibit people from setting traps or snares within city boundaries within one km of any dwelling. However, ENR has jurisdiction to use traps.

Live capture traps can be used if the animal is proven to be a threat, but Bourget said this leads to another problem: what you do with the animal once it's caught. Urban foxes may starve to death in the wilds outside the city.

Also, traps set in a yard are dangerous because children or pets may trigger them.

ENR also warns foxes that display abnormal behaviour may have rabies. But abnormal behaviour, such as not fearing humans, could also be attributed to people feeding the animals.