Hi All,
I went out in the dark with a flash light to water my garden. Found the cutest little wabbit (Elmer Fudd speak for "rabbit") about the size of a baseball taking a nap in my zukes. He got a bath but good and now resides in other parts of my yard. Though he was a rat at first.
Are rabbits something to worry about? If so, how would you rid your garden of them?
Many thanks,
-T
Rabbits can become your worst nightmare if they reach large numbers, even a few can be quite destructive if they keep returning. If your garden is the best (only) food about they can strip anything up to knee high. Contrary to Bugs Bunny cartoons they don't subsist on just carrots. It is heartbreaking to have all your seedlings chomped at ground level.
A vigliant Kelpie will severely discourage them - if you call being eaten disouraging. A waist height wire mesh fence will keep them out, they are not very smart and they don't jump the high bar but try to get through. Thank your stars you don't have roos.
D
Hi David,
Thank you.
Researching he web tells me to spray everything with a diluted mixture of Tabasco sauce or any hot pepper.
Can anyone confirm or deny?
-T
Uh, we don't have rabbits, but when I eye the squirrels who terminated my (former) avocados with extreme prejudice,* and decimated my (former) apricots I think dark thoughts...
Alas, it's a little late - several decades late -- to ask my son to return the .22 which he took with him when he went out into the wide world.
*CIA-talk for offing people.HB
You should hear what military snipers call it: "reduced"
That little bunny is awfully cute. I think I will give it a hot foot -- spray diluted Tabasco sauce all over it and its food. I am going to get me the cheapest, hottest crap I can find from WalMart.
Chicken wire fence is your best bet. It only takes a couple of feet of fencing. Bunnies might graze up to it but not jump it.
The rabbits around here like sprouts, so they eat as soon as the shoot comes out of the ground. I plant a row of beans and think half of them didn't germinate, they I look closely and see they were in fact eaten. Anything that gets past the sprout state doesn't seem to interest them. This makes me think the hot sauce spray would be ineffective, as you could only spray the more developed plants that the rabbits don't bother.
I bought an electric fence to protect my valuables from the rabbits and racoons. It comes with a two-foot small mesh wire fence, and some wires that go on small poles outside the fence and are hooked to a solar power panel. My wife reports that it gives a tingle when you touch it (she forgot to turn it off when she is weeding) which is apparently enough to deter the predators. It is a bit of work because we have to weed around it to keep the weeds from shorting it out, but the fresh sweet corn in particular is well worth it.
I'm in the US, and found the fence at
No doubt this works but an electric fence isn't required for rabbits alone as they don't climb.
D
Yep. I've got huge numbers of the filthy wee brutes. I'm suffering from a Jack Russell deficiency ATM.
Jack Russells are goo too. They play tug of war and don't let up till they get an end each. Not good for the live bunny though.
A waist height wire mesh fence will keep them out,
Roos are probably better than deer though. We are now seeing deer appearing at the back of our farm.
I tried the hot stuff.......several times.........does not work. Two things that worked for me are and accurate air rifle....I shot a few and managed to catch a couple small ones which I released a few miles from here, but what has worked best for me is a chicken wire fence 30" high.
That's what I said. Chicken wire worked for me. Every now and then I'd get one with a slingshot or my bow.
This worked on squirrels and might work on rabbits.
A public garden where I am a docent has two white mulberry trees (Morus alba). Squirrels would feast on new shoots every spring, delaying the trees from leafing out for as much as two months. The squirrels threatened to even kill the trees. I was told that the new growth contained something that gave the squirrels a "buzz" (squirrel marijuana).
The gardeners sprayed the new shoots and buds with a mixture of liquid soap, cayenne, and human urine. The squirrels immediately abandoned the trees.
For rabbits on the ground, spraying might have to be repeated after watering the affected plants.
Two things: Do not buy from Walmart, which cruelly exploits is worker.
Next: Do not cruelly spike rabbitg's food with hot sauce.
Kill it quickly, fence it out, but do not torture it. HB
How did the fruit taste?
[...]HB
The trees are fruitless. That is good since they hang out over a concrete path, which would be stained by ripe mulberries.
By the way, I believe such a spray can be applied to the ground around edibles instead of directly on edibles. Just be sure that a broad band (not broadband :) ) of spray completely encircles the area to be protected.
Also, preditor urine (e.g., from a dog or cat) might work as well as human.
"Cruelly exploit". You are kidding? No one is forcing them to work there. They are not slaves. This is just mud slinging because they are a non-union shop. Lots of places pay crappy wages. If they are a union shop, you don't hear about it. No one is forcing anyone to work those places either.
You are kidding again? No?
The wabbit will only take a quick taste and it will come right back out. Kind of like me and Kale. YUK! The thought of it!
The bunny will be just fine. There is a difference between "aversion" and "torture". Tasting and rejecting food is part of wabbits normal everyday life.
What did you think I was going to do? Hold the poor little dear down, pry its mouth open, and pour cheap-asses hot sauce down his throat?
And if you were kidding, I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
-T
You are simplifying this too much. For a start it depends on whether the pee is from a male or female. In the case of the male the size of the 'nads is also a factor. See if you can get DER to put 'em on the scales......
If intending to scent mark posessions I would rather get the dogs to do it by proxy, they are better at it and have not much else to do.
D
yes, rabbits will rapidly take over. we have a lot of damage from them this past winter and too many around now. i've been lucky so far this season with my unfenced gardens, but i don't count on them for most of the veggie production anyways.
fencing works well enough, if you have deer in your area make the fence tall enough to keep them out too and save yourself the extra work later.
if you have chipmunks/squirrels, ground-hogs/ woodchucks, voles, moles, etc. there are ways of making the fence suitable for excluding them. you'll want a very fine mesh for excluding the smaller critters.
done well also put down heavy plastic sheeting along the fence (before you put the stakes in and before you fence), when you then put the fence up this will help you keep the weeds from growing on your fence. mulch the plastic to keep the sun off it. saves a lot of bother later. it may look rather stark, but if you let weeds grow along your fence you may not be able to notice how a critter finds a way in. also, avoiding having things growing on the fence keeps the wind from having extra things to push against and knocking it over.
do not plant vines to grow on this fence. do not use it for beans or anything else. if you want climbing vines put them on their own supports. this way if you need to electrify (for fending off raccoons, possums, ...) it is easier to manage.
songbird
David Hare-Scott wrote: ...
they can climb a short distance, if you get rabbit fencing it often isn't quite high enough. our fence here is too short and they do climb through it at times (grr!). you are better off getting small mesh fencing that goes up at least four feet. if you have other critters to protect against it is better to do the whole thing right from the start.
songbird
Hi Songbird,
Thank you!
I sprayed yesterday with Walmart brand 89 cent per bottle, Louisiana Hot Sauce. Tuesday with Cayenne powder.
Since popping the little critter with high pressure water on Saturday, I haven't seen him since (I check with a flashlight about 12:00 midnight). No scat either.
I am not looking forward to a fence. Hopefully ...
By the way, deer around there parts can jump over an eight foot fence like it was nothing. You have to build a "cage" around your stuff. Fortunately, no deer around my neighborhood.
-T
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