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06-05-2003, 03:32 AM

In article ,
(Frogleg) wrote:

On Mon, 05 May 2003 10:14:03 -0700,
(paghat) wrote:

Anyone know of a natural way to keep rabbits out of the garden ?

I'd like to hear some folks' reports of SPECIFIC harm rabbits have done to
rec.gardens gardeners' gardens. I know they can do a great deal of damage,
but it would be interesting to hear some typical examples, as I'm
wondering how often they might actually be tolerable (if not numerous) as
cute visitors with whom humans should be more willing to share at least
SOME of the garden. I'd be happy to share with wee bunnies up to a point,
& be tickled to have them visiting; but I'd have my limits no doubt.

Beans. Rabbits waited 'til the beans were up and had 1 or 2 pair of
healthy real leaves, then ate every single sprout. If the beans
persisted and sent out new leaves, the rabbits persisted more.This
happened to me and about 10 others in a community garden. Of course,
they nibbled on other things, too. I sat in the garden weeding and
watched a "wee bunny" chewing up a tomato plant 15' away (not mine).

The trouble with "cute" wildlife is that you can rarely usher it to a
"shared" portion of your garden. They just don't understand, "you can
have 5 bean plants and the rest are for me." Few would mind if
squirrels ate a dozen pecans from a prolific tree, but they don't.
They bite into and ruin hundreds, and leave them to spoil.

Good points all. I am enamored of wild life &would probably adjust my
gardening around whatever limitations they impose, meaning no beans for
me.

Wild European rabbits are Australia's worst animal pest, causing
hundreds of million$ of damage, both to crops and the natural
environment, as well as spreading disease.

Australia is a little different as it's an example of what happens when
alien species are introduced into a new landscape where they never
belonged. Whether that's marine toads in Hawaii or rabbits in Australia.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/