How do you keep rabbits from eating your plants in the garden?
May 10th, 2007, 05:42 PM
#1
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How do you keep rabbits from eating your plants in the garden?
I just moved into a new house last year and spent much of my 'travel' money on having my place landscaped and a patio layed.
I love to sit out there and love my new garden. BUT, many of the shrubs have been chewed right down by the darn bunnies. There is no doubt they are cute, but I wish they'd dine somewhere else. I back onto a natural habitat area, so they have tons to eat there. ANy ideas on how to get them to leave my garden alone?
I love to sit out there and love my new garden. BUT, many of the shrubs have been chewed right down by the darn bunnies. There is no doubt they are cute, but I wish they'd dine somewhere else. I back onto a natural habitat area, so they have tons to eat there. ANy ideas on how to get them to leave my garden alone?
May 10th, 2007, 06:12 PM
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Not quite travel, but...
We have a wodden backyard fence of the kind where there are alternating vertical boards on each side of the horizontael supports, meaning bunnies can squeeze between the boards with no trouble.
We have stapled chicken wire around the fence in the entire back yard, and placed bricks by the two gates.
No bunnies.
Out front, they keep eating, and our next plan is to go to the dollar store and get several bottles of cheap pepper, and sprinkle it around the plants the bunnies like to eat.
Mostly, we hope the neighbors have better tasting plants.
The chicken wiore cost about $100, including the stapler.
BAK
We have a wodden backyard fence of the kind where there are alternating vertical boards on each side of the horizontael supports, meaning bunnies can squeeze between the boards with no trouble.
We have stapled chicken wire around the fence in the entire back yard, and placed bricks by the two gates.
No bunnies.
Out front, they keep eating, and our next plan is to go to the dollar store and get several bottles of cheap pepper, and sprinkle it around the plants the bunnies like to eat.
Mostly, we hope the neighbors have better tasting plants.
The chicken wiore cost about $100, including the stapler.
BAK
May 10th, 2007, 06:36 PM
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Sheesh, I meant to post this on the Fodor's Lounge. Sorry,
but Thanks Brian.
I have chicken wire everywhere and they find their way in.
I'll try the pepper.
You'd think they'd have enough to eat out in the natural area.
but Thanks Brian.
I have chicken wire everywhere and they find their way in.
I'll try the pepper.
You'd think they'd have enough to eat out in the natural area.
May 11th, 2007, 07:34 AM
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And if you have a dog, bloodmeal will send them to heaven! ((&
) I've never found mothballs particularly effective, but cayenne pepper works. Just have to reapply after rainstorms, but they don't like it at all.
) I've never found mothballs particularly effective, but cayenne pepper works. Just have to reapply after rainstorms, but they don't like it at all.
May 11th, 2007, 06:54 PM
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My master gardener wife says to bury a closely woven fence about 6 to 12 inches so the little rascals cannot dig under it.
Also, electrify it as well as bury it if you really want to go after them. However, pets and small children contra indicate the electrical fence.
Also make it at least 4 feet high so they cannot jump it.
For deer, I am not sure what you do.
Eight feet high and electrified?
You can get some direct advice from the master gardiner her if you wish.
Put Murphy and his buddy on patrol.
Also, electrify it as well as bury it if you really want to go after them. However, pets and small children contra indicate the electrical fence.
Also make it at least 4 feet high so they cannot jump it.
For deer, I am not sure what you do.
Eight feet high and electrified?
You can get some direct advice from the master gardiner her if you wish.
Put Murphy and his buddy on patrol.
May 11th, 2007, 07:19 PM
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bob brown...wld you ls ask your wife about deer. They alwasy eat my petunias, begonias & impatiens...everything really. Even marigolds which I was told they wld not eat. Somebody told me to put Irish Spring soap out. I bought some & did that. No good.
May 11th, 2007, 07:55 PM
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My wife's answer about the deer is fairly brief: PRAY.
Controlling deer in a wooded area is very difficult. A fence will work to some extent, but fencing is expensive.
You might try a 12 foot electrified fence. Hang aluminum foil off of the fence baited with peanut butter. The deer lick the aluminum and get a shock.
It is a technique based on forced avoidance.
Spacing of the fence wires is vital. Five smooth high strength wires stretched very tight are required. The bottom wire is 10 inches from the ground. The other wires are 12 inches apart.
Deer prefer to go though a fence, but with this spacing they get a shock when they try it. The wires need a charger to electrify them and the voltage in the fence alternates by strand.
Others say to use odor repellants. These must be put out early before the deer find the goodies. The repellants must also be renewed, particularly after a heavy rain. If food is relatively scarce, odor repellants will not work.
Michael T. Milgak of the School of Forestry at UGA has tested Milorganite on soy beans as a repellant. It worked for 37 days according to his published research.
White tailed deer in Georgia do not like rotten egg odor. But nothing is sure to work.
If you want to know more about Milgak's research, use Google and do an advanced search. Enter the name Michael T. Milgak and deer. You will find several references to his published research.
We have lots and lots of deer in Georgia and they are a difficult problem to manage.
The State Botanical Garden gurus have tried minimal fertilizer, tending to go more with composte. The fertilizer tends for some reason to attract deer.
Also, the staff has tried planting leeks among the flowers because deer don't like them. It is an experiment the results of which are still being evaluated.
My guess is that it will fail because the deer will learn to tell the difference betweeen the good stuff and the bad.
So back to my wife's laconic assessment:
Pray.
Controlling deer in a wooded area is very difficult. A fence will work to some extent, but fencing is expensive.
You might try a 12 foot electrified fence. Hang aluminum foil off of the fence baited with peanut butter. The deer lick the aluminum and get a shock.
It is a technique based on forced avoidance.
Spacing of the fence wires is vital. Five smooth high strength wires stretched very tight are required. The bottom wire is 10 inches from the ground. The other wires are 12 inches apart.
Deer prefer to go though a fence, but with this spacing they get a shock when they try it. The wires need a charger to electrify them and the voltage in the fence alternates by strand.
Others say to use odor repellants. These must be put out early before the deer find the goodies. The repellants must also be renewed, particularly after a heavy rain. If food is relatively scarce, odor repellants will not work.
Michael T. Milgak of the School of Forestry at UGA has tested Milorganite on soy beans as a repellant. It worked for 37 days according to his published research.
White tailed deer in Georgia do not like rotten egg odor. But nothing is sure to work.
If you want to know more about Milgak's research, use Google and do an advanced search. Enter the name Michael T. Milgak and deer. You will find several references to his published research.
We have lots and lots of deer in Georgia and they are a difficult problem to manage.
The State Botanical Garden gurus have tried minimal fertilizer, tending to go more with composte. The fertilizer tends for some reason to attract deer.
Also, the staff has tried planting leeks among the flowers because deer don't like them. It is an experiment the results of which are still being evaluated.
My guess is that it will fail because the deer will learn to tell the difference betweeen the good stuff and the bad.
So back to my wife's laconic assessment:
Pray.
May 11th, 2007, 07:59 PM
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PS I got a little shy on detail.
The 5-strand fence has been tried in Pennsylvania. It is of course not 12 feet high. I mixed two distincly different fencing strategies.
The 12-foot high fence is expensive and requires maintenance.
The 5-strand fence is cheaper, but certainly not cheap absolutely. The equipment to provide the electrical charge is not low-cost either.
I think it depends on how badly you want to protect the plants involved.
The 5-strand fence has been tried in Pennsylvania. It is of course not 12 feet high. I mixed two distincly different fencing strategies.
The 12-foot high fence is expensive and requires maintenance.
The 5-strand fence is cheaper, but certainly not cheap absolutely. The equipment to provide the electrical charge is not low-cost either.
I think it depends on how badly you want to protect the plants involved.
May 12th, 2007, 04:30 AM
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Well it seems that I'm fighting a losing battle unless I want to go to the expense of digging down to bury fencing.
Bob, my Murphy would be great if only it were squirrels that were the problem. He goes mental when he sees them.
Wow, I bought Irish Spring soap and was about to grate it all this weekend. I guess I won't bother! Thanks for saving me the trouble.
If you go to the Fodor's Lounge, to my post there, the problem of deer is discussed with some possible solutions.
I guess living as one with nature isn't always perfect. IF only they'd leave my plants alone and dine on all the wild stuff out back!
Bob, my Murphy would be great if only it were squirrels that were the problem. He goes mental when he sees them.
Wow, I bought Irish Spring soap and was about to grate it all this weekend. I guess I won't bother! Thanks for saving me the trouble.
If you go to the Fodor's Lounge, to my post there, the problem of deer is discussed with some possible solutions.
I guess living as one with nature isn't always perfect. IF only they'd leave my plants alone and dine on all the wild stuff out back!
May 12th, 2007, 07:58 AM
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Peeing around the garden helps.:-> Keeping your dog out by the garden will also help.
I know Irish Spring soap helps with deer, but I don't know about rabbits.I know this is way off topic, but fun.
I know Irish Spring soap helps with deer, but I don't know about rabbits.I know this is way off topic, but fun.
May 12th, 2007, 11:18 AM
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I can vouch for moth balls and deer. I made little baggies out of old panty hose and filled them with moth balls and hung them on the branches of the rose bushes and my nice new maple trees. No more waking up to missing rose blooms and new growth on the trees. It works wonders they stay clear of the garden. I couldn't believe it. I had asked my neighbours what they did because I was the only one with the problem. They all said "Moth balls" I do have a small dog but I keep her out of the garden and the bags hang higher than she can reach. (mini doxie so she doesn't get too far off the ground)
May 12th, 2007, 11:32 AM
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Zootsi, I'm afraid I'd get arrested!
Dog urine obviously doesn't work!
Traveler, I haven't thought of hanging the moth balls in bags. Maybe that is the answer. Although I know for sure I don't have deer, just those cute little bunnies.
Dog urine obviously doesn't work!
Traveler, I haven't thought of hanging the moth balls in bags. Maybe that is the answer. Although I know for sure I don't have deer, just those cute little bunnies.
