My little bean plants have been chewed on for about a week now. Any suggestions?
I have been sprinkling some animal repellent that is harmless it just smells bad. But it hasn't made much of an impact. Would hot pepper powder deter them? I am sure there are some good recipes out there.
Thanks.
Helen
rabbits
Recipes for the repellent or the rabbit? ^^_^^
Here's my recipe for bunny deterant. She patrols the perimiter....
And here is the interior/excavator patrol. Here's also my real garden buddy. Watches everything I do out there!
Terri_emory,
I'd give anything to have a fig tree, like in your first post! I've tried and tried, but can't get one going...
LOL! Figs are just dumb luck on my part! I'm a total novice. I had fruit last year but a mocking bird sat guarding it and the second it was ripe the fruit disapeared. This guy (Ernie the Corgi) chases birds (like he's ever going to catch one!) but the mocking bird out-foxes him every time. This year I have two figs planted out in the yard and two planted in the espalier cage. Mr. Mocking Bird will have to share.
Pepper is good for chasing off fleas, the rabbit would be happy, owls are supposed to scare bunnies witless, but I gather they have really good eyesight, and as they get older, less fearful, 3' chicken wire, and maybe they wont burrow?
LOL Gymgirl. I don't plan on eating the rabbits so it would be for a repellant.
Maybe the chicken wire would be worth a try.
We do have owls in the neighborhood as well as hawks (or some sort of raptor). I am hoping for the best. I have noticed the squirrel and chipmunk populations are greatly reduced lately and I suspect its the predators doing the good work.
I have several little dogs but they are asleep when the rabbits are doing their munching.
Thanks for the input. If anyone as a good repellant recipe I would be grateful.
Helen
I don't have a repellant recipe, but I swear by the chickenwire! We have so many wild rabbits in our neighborhood that I had to revert to the chickenwire method last year, and this year I built a "hanger" for 5 hanging planters. Good luck, cause those pesky critters will demolish your garden!
Little dogs and rabbits get to be buddies, wild rabbits and my Old Rottie were also friends, chicken wire. That rabbit at the house however is apt to need 5' chicken wire he's getting so big.
Chicken wire it must be then.
hoogie, I am not clear about your 'hanging' chicken wire contraption. Could you include a picture or a more elaborate description.
Anyone else who has a picture of how they use chicken wire would be helpful. Thanks!
Helen
Chicken wire is now called "Poultry Netting"
http://www.lowes.com/SearchCatalogDisplay?Ntt=poultry+netting&langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&N=0
This is what I purchased to keep the dogs out of the beds when they were puppies.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_92276-16418-832276_0__?productId=3160865&Ntt=poultry+netting&pl=1¤tURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dpoultry%2Bnetting
Sorry, the hanger does not have chickenwire. That is around my raised bed with the tomatoes in it. Here is a picture of my hanging garden - banana peppers, jalapenos and zuchini.
That is a really good idea! It looks easy to make, easy to anchor, and easy to move. You could just attach poultry netting as far up as necessary and hang flowers or whatever from the top. Double decker gardening for small spaces =). You could even extend the horizontal bracing (half way up) out from the verticle inverted 'V's for handles to make lifting or moving easier......Hmmmm......Thanks for the photo!
Helen,
I used a "Hav-a-hart" live trap for a bunny relocation program (BuRP). My younger daughter (who loves bunnies of all types) wouldn't allow anything more lethal. We bated the trap with apple slices and leaf lettuce, keeping it near the area with the most eating activity. We caught several and relocated to a more remote area about 5 miles away and across at least two creeks. Hopefully they wouldn't be able to find their way back! This doesn't eliminate the rabbits, since more can move in from the edges, but it does slow them down. I also use plastic fence with 1.5 holes around the whole garden. That seems to slow them down some, too.
David
Yeah, my bunny wouldn't be so big if I didnt throw the carrots and broccoli stems to him, chuckl
I am happy to report my quickly erected chicken wife fence is doing the trick!!!
My sister was visiting and was up early one morning. She said when she looked out the window at my vegie garden there were two rabbits strolling by on the outside of the fence. Yeah.
I will try and post a picture soon though I doubt I will be able to include the rabbits.
Thanks for everyones responses and advise.... now on to the next problem.
Helen
chicken wife fence-! LOL
helenchild - I'm glad to know the fence is doing the trick. Bunnies sure look cute, but not when they are chomping their way through the veggie garden!
Loving this thread--my garden looks like I'm growing a crop of chicken wire. Fothergilla, lilies and veggies are all encircled. It's too late for one of my Euphorbia/cushion spurges but at least I won't have to cut it back now. :D
David..........Did you release them in my neighborhood?.......I found a rabbit nest under one of mater plants w/ 2 young rabbits napping.....I relocated back to your neighborhood...
Hornstrider, mine only ate low tomatoes. They didn't nest in them. My BuRP took the bunnies south, so they would have had to pass my garden to get to yours. : )
Erni's adorable! What is it about corgis? I have a brindle cardigan and she has eyes that look right through you. Pembrokes always look like such party animals, Cardigans always look like they have to be on their dignity.