>>The RSPCA has long-objected to them, stating: "Noise levels produced by such ultrasonic devices are likely to be aversive to some animals, potentially causing them discomfort, fear and/or pain and predicting an individual's response is difficult."
>>Mr Milward said he "recognises the importance of living harmoniously with wildlife" but just wanted a humane way of protecting his two young children from the mess left by foxes and badgers, while also preserving his garden.
Ummm, it seems that a small amount of discomfort, fear, and/or pain, all of which is easily escaped by the animal is exactly the point! It is called operant conditioning by negative reinforcement related to a specific behavior.
What it the alternative, hooking up the device to a water cannot, paintball gun or real gun; are those really better?
Cats keep pissing in/near my bike shed, i have a wifi camera successfully wired up to a YOLOv8 object detector (to detect cats) but never figured out how to actually repel them. I wanted to go with an actuated water spray but it seemed ridiculously over engineered. If i can just blast them with ultrasound that's a lot easier to do...
Since both badgers and foxes are night animals I guess his children play at 01:00 during the night in his garden?
There’s usually a fox sunbathing on my shed roof during the summer, if one of the neighbours cats isn’t around to claim that space.
I’m guessing Surrey foxes are similar.
But, yes, it’s also about their faeces. UK foxes love to defecate on small items rather than boring grass or flower beds. Leave a ball out in the garden and there’s a good chance it will have a fox turd on it the next morning.