Rabbits!

Is there anything they won't eat?

I have two dogs in the yard on constant watch, and still the wascally wabbits have managed to devastate three flower beds, about half of the veggie garden, and a number of potted flowers on the patio table.

Why don't you start the wabbits a little patch of their own where they can lunch, away from your other plant treasures?

Maybe some red clover and alfalfa hay?

That picture is too funny, Gloria !

Gloria,

Are you saying that if I have a patch of red clover, the wabbits will feast there and stay away from my flowers? I'd think they'd just invite their cousins, finish off the clover, and look around for second helpings elsewhere.

Part of the problem is that my yard is about an acre, with a 25-acre field abutting the back fence (alas, one of those wrought-iron things that keeps nothing smaller than a coyote out). There are probably several hundred thousand rabbits in that field.

Looks like your kids have a rabbit habbit!

A field full of rabbits. Wow. Sounds like you need a better fence. Maybe a 3 ft row of chicken wire along the base of that leaky iron fence?

And maybe your kids could sneak over to the back of that field and plant some red clover, alfalfa, and Id have to look up some other rabbit munchies. Mine like black oil sunflowers. And of course CARROTS.
These like cabbage.

Have you ever tried putting blood meal out. The problem with that is that rain will wash it away, but it is good fertilizer. Also the expense. I have problems with deer eating the leaves off of my new trees. Someone told me to try Irish Spring soap. Apparently you cut it up and either hang the peices on the tree or place it around the tree. I don't know if this works or not, since I have not had time to try it. I also do not know if it works with rabbits.

I would get some kind of mesh and put it across your fence. At my old house my dog was able to jump between the bars in my wrought iron fence so I bought bird netting and attached it to the fence, it was barely noticeable but it was enough to keep him from trying to get out. I'm not sure if rabbits would chew through bird netting or not (they could chew through it, but I'm not sure if they would do that or if they'd go on to easier pickings), maybe you need something with wire mesh instead of plastic, but the same principle should work. And if it's just rabbits and other low to the ground critters that are getting in, you probably don't even have to put it over the whole fence, just the bottom foot or so.

In this area chicken wire is cheap and available. It comes in 2 ft and 3 ft widths so it is easy to unroll. You can secure the bottom with tent stakes and the top with twist ties.

I use it because my dog Roscoe is a digger. he will go under anyfence in a minute. So I bury the bottom half and string the top half with twist ties. Its fairly permanent, and Roscoe is much bigger than a rabbit.

This message was edited Apr 13, 2008 11:07 AM

Yes, my boys love stuffed rabbits. Go figure.

The HOA won't let me put mesh on the fence. Neighbors have tried it and been dinged. Not only did they lose out the money and time for the mesh, but then they had to pay a nasty fine AND spend more time taking the mesh down.

Alas, my poor sunflower seedlings. The wabbits have nibbled the ones along the back fence to death. I've replanted three times now. I'm just hoping they don't find the ones by the front fence.

I'm considering renaming all my ornamental grasses to "lunch," "dinner," "second breakfast," and "midnight snack." The wabbits have pruned them, from leaf tip all the way down the stem to the ground.

Maybe you could try a neighborhood petition to the HOA. There are low fencing materials that would be barely noticeable that would keep the rabbits out.

Otherwise, I would suggest planting some of those sunflowers on the other end of the field. But, you are probably right with out some means of population control they will bring their cousins in for yours.

Ecraine, the beds they've been bothering have blood meal in them. I like to mix some in with the soil just below planting depth when starting a new bed. Until I read your post, I was wondering if the blood meal was what was attracting them.

I think it was SueME who suggested the blood meal, I had suggested some sort of mesh on the fence. Blood meal won't attract things like rabbits, but it can attract dogs and possibly other carnivorous sorts of animals--I can't use it as fertilizer in my garden because it makes my normally well behaved dog go crazy and start digging up my beds.

If the rabbits keep eating your sunflowers, they could wind up looking like this:
Herman, a Giant German rabbit. Snopes.

Try Rabbit Stopper or Liquid Fence. Those have worked for me. Rabbit Stopper smells MUCH better than LF.

This morning, I've been working on my computer beside a window that overlooks the garden. I've seen at least a dozen of the little buggers, hopping happily about, snacking on this and that, looking as cute as possible for invading marauders. My dogs whuffed a few times, but never chased them. They were far more interested in napping.

Maybe I need a cat. A mountain lion or something....

I would recommend a greyhound. My greyhound even killed one of my New Zealands. Knocked the cage over, and one quick-kill chomp to the back of the neck. It was the end of my beautiful black bunny.

I don't like the idea of killing rabbits and deer, but when the populations get out of whack its about the only solution.

My greyhound even kills mice. She bites their heads off, and leaves their little headless bodies laying around for me to find. Yuk.

This message was edited Apr 14, 2008 10:09 AM

I had some left over party helium balloons that I tied to my tomatoes cages for my squirrel problem. It worked 'till they got use to the motion.

I've used old CD's in the same way, they flash and spin. Just be careful if they break because they are sharp. I noticed the tops of all but one zuc plant was gone this morning. I'm going to put the top of milk jugs over them for awhile, like a collar.

don't know what kind of dog you have,but a jack russel is bred to hunt and kill,. the rabbits won't get in the yard far enough to get killed,cause as soon as they come in,he'll chase them out . they are high energy dogs and love the chase.they are very smart and loveable.they come in short hair,long hair short legs,. long legs.the short hair,long legs seem to have the most endurance for the long chase.one would solve your problem ,and what's the difference,one more dog doesn't eat much.i'm down to four now.

lol....if the rabbits got as big as that giant german rabbit, then I'd imagine you wouldn't have to worry about them sneaking through the fence again.......I don't think they'd fit!

what kind of fence do you and other h owners have? if it"s wide enough for wabbits to get through, what keeps chihuahuas and other small breeds in?i'd hate to live someplace that i had to take my dog out on a leash in his own back yard.maybe some decorative border panels would work to line the fence with.maybe something that looks like it's part of the fence its self .hope you find a soloution.if enough of you attend the h o meetings,numbers in force can work wonders for ammendments.good luck!

It would be a catastrophe if the only way to deal with the fence problem was to feed the rabbits and make them big enough so they couldn't get through! Actually, I think it is only the Germans and Flemish rabbits that get that big, its genetics not what they eat.

Surely the administration will listen to a reasonable modification of the fence to exclude the rabbits. It also sounds like some measure of population control and effective rabbit repellent is in order.

It is a sad day when predators have to be introduced to control a population explosion. Not something that children should have to witness.

Steven. Are they "house rabbits". Potty trained?

Hehehehe, yes they are house bunnie and they 'go' in their litter box. Except if they get annoyed then they throw the box around...

Steven

edited for spelling

This message was edited Apr 16, 2008 4:18 PM

Beauties!

Thanks! Thats Bella on the right and Coco on the left, it's a mother and daughter(Bella's the mother) I got from the SPCA last April.

Steven

Anyone here interested in pitching in to the house rabbit thread I just started?

nilly: Im no longer a subscriber, but good luck with your house rabbit thread. My first rabbit - Twitch - was a rescued house rabbit. He always did go to just one spot, even if he was confined to his cage.

A warning tho. All dogs think rabbits are for their lunch. Even when they pretend not to think that.

Also a happy rabbit has a much longer life span than most sources would lead you to believe -- they live to be 18 or 20 years but usually don't make it because they get killed by dogs.

Hi , Gloria , good to hear from you .
Rabbits make great house pets . Speaking from childhood experence . Momma didn't seem to mind , and she was a clean freak . digger

Hi Sally. How's Texas? get much rain today?

Buy a pellet rifle and kill the jokers. If you aren't as blood thirsty as me, there is a product called Hinder you can spray on your plants that won't hurt the plant but the rabbits will leave them alone.

Hi Gloria
Thanks for responding.
I've been learning so much about rabbits!
If you're not a subscriber, can you still view the houserabbit thread?

Where is it? Can you post a link?

I think rabbits are clean animals. They are always cleaning themselves like cats, do. And they don't like to get any stains on their coats. It makes them uncomfortable. And when they molt -- shed --- they really don't like it. The like all the extra hair brushed and taken away so they stay nice and clean.

Some people are allergic to rabbits, though.

I know you will enjoy your rabbits, Nilly. Just remember -- for as pleasant as they are, they don't seem to like having 2 males in the same area. Its not like Watership Down where all the male rabbits would sit around and talk about politics!

Here it is, Gloria - come on over!
My girls are there, bad photo though it is!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1049540/

I volunteer with pet rabbits.
The subject of catching rabbits comes up now and then in various garden threads.
I thought it would help if I put this out there widely to try to let people know more about rabbits.

If you see domestic RABBITS LOOSE OUTDOORS -

EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW how to catch a loose domestic rabbit (aka: House Rabbit, Pet Bunny, "meat" rabbit, anything besides our wild American cottontails).

They're an entirely different species from our wild cottontails and cannot survive out there on their own.

Here's a good link to explain. Please look at it even if you don't think you'll have to do it. You might besurprised someday or be able to answer the question for one of your gardening friends. http://www.rabbitcare.org/catch_a_stray.htm

Come over here if you have rabbit questions:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1049540/

Hi , moon , cold today . Merry Christmas to all and a safe and wonderful 2010. digger

Merry Christmas Digger. Hope you and the family have a wonderful Holiday with lots of fun and food and laughter. Sincerest wishes for a full and happy New Year. Be Safe and Happy. Jean/Moon

Have you tried sprinkling cayenne or black pepper mixed with crushed garlic around the plants to keep the rabbits from feasting? They don't like the smell. I live way out in God's country and rabbits try to build nests around our gardens....I guess they think they can better care for the babies when the food source is so close. I sprinkle the pepper mix and they are gone in a day. I don't know if it's just me or if this would work for everyone.

Julie

It helps to mix the pepper into a spray bottle with a bit of dish soap. The soap helps it stick to the plants. But then I've had deer to worry about and they're bigger....... A friend tells me that garlic and pepper in soapy water works even better.