GardenBanter.co.uk - Wabbits again

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In the news from Lake Wobegon this weekend, GK mentioned great hordes of
rabbits eating everything in peoples gardens except the tomato plants
(which they obviously don't like.)

I haven't had any problems with rabbits this year, after I shot that big
one a couple of months ago. Well, Saturday they must have heard Prairie
Home Companion, because when I went out in my garden yesterday,
something had eaten most of my pepper plants, and the dill was kind of
knocked down a little like a smallish animal had laid on it. The
tomatoes were untouched.

I set up a Have-a-hart trap where there's a gap in the fence at the
corner. I know that's where they get in. When that doesn't work, I'll
set the old Victor leg-hold trap. (Don't tell my wife or DD about that one)

Bob

"zxcvbob" wrote in message

I set up a Have-a-hart trap where there's a gap in the fence at the
corner. I know that's where they get in. When that doesn't work, I'll
set the old Victor leg-hold trap. (Don't tell my wife or DD about that
one)

I've read that rabbits dont' like blood and bone meal - perhaps it would be
worth spreading some and fertilising at the same time rather than using a
trap.

FarmI wrote:
"zxcvbob" wrote in message

I set up a Have-a-hart trap where there's a gap in the fence at the
corner. I know that's where they get in. When that doesn't work, I'll
set the old Victor leg-hold trap. (Don't tell my wife or DD about that
one)

I've read that rabbits dont' like blood and bone meal - perhaps it would be
worth spreading some and fertilising at the same time rather than using a
trap.

They haven't been back since I set out the box trap. Maybe they
recognize it. Also, I've used lots of stale urine for fertilizer this
week. (not intentionally stale, it just got away from me) Smelled
pretty bad when I spread it around. Maybe that offends their sensitive
little noses. ;-)

Bob

In article 4a65511d$0$9773$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-
01.iinet.net.au, ask@itshall says...
"zxcvbob" wrote in message

I set up a Have-a-hart trap where there's a gap in the fence at the
corner. I know that's where they get in. When that doesn't work, I'll
set the old Victor leg-hold trap. (Don't tell my wife or DD about that
one)

I've read that rabbits dont' like blood and bone meal - perhaps it would be
worth spreading some and fertilising at the same time rather than using a
trap.

I consider that a myth... because it doesn't bother the rabbits or for
that matter the groundhogs around here. It seems logical but I've dealt
with a lot of rodents and it's pretty clear that all they think about is
food and the scent of death doesn't matter at all.

If you think smaller yet, mice don't mind getting caught in traps set
right beside their previously caught, recently dead kin.

The cayenne solution is also a myth. --Tried it and lost the whole
year's crop of cabbages to 1 groundhog. He probably could have tolerated
Honan cooking. It doesn't work for rabbits either.

Of the rodent species, rabbits are in my experience, easiest to deal
with if you fence them out properly as suggested. We put in our fence
the spring we lost all our buttercrunch lettuce to rabbits. (I trenched
in close to 250' of chicken wire fence with an L shaped bend in it and a
gate and lintel in under a day and a half. It looked and looks kinda
ramshackle but charming and in keeping with the rest of the place.

To this day the fence has had a 100% success rate for rabbits... and it
channels exploring groundhogs to our traps because they walk around the
perimeter first.

The issue revolves around, "They have to eat and we have to eat." --They
like what we have to eat but don't need to eat it... We have a madly
flourishing environment here and don't mind them consuming outside our
veg. garden fence. If they get inside the garden, they become fertilizer
as a practical, matter of course.

If I understood more about the health of game and had the ability to
determine what was healthy enough to eat, I wouldn't mind killing them.
--They would donate our cabbages to the table in another form.

With that in mind, I bend my efforts to maintaining a barrier and a
territory that excludes them... Catchalive traps are the only option
here due to neighbourhood cats, but if that weren't a consideration I
would use anything that would work up.

On Jul 20, 2:11 pm, zxcvbob wrote:

Andy comments:

I have a similar problem with wabbits and squiwwels....

My solution involves a pellet wifle...

I shoots a .177 pellet at 1200 fps and has a telescopic sight.

I have had many delicious meals as a result of the wabbit
bait that my garden provides. The wabbit wants my veggies
so I give them to him..... on his outside while in the stew pot...

Sometimes you just find things that need killin'

Andy in Eureka, Texas

Eureka, where Ranch Dressing was invented so that our
cowboys sitting around a campfire would have something
tasty to put on their salads..