Rabbits have been attacking my young fruit trees and flower bed. Despite having

fencing around the plants, they manage to get in and chew things up. Is there
any way to get rid of them, short of shooting (my suburb doesn't allow it).
Can't keep
dogs for other reasons, plus they can't be outside in all kinds of bad weather.

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
shooting (my suburb doesn't allow it).


760 Pumpmaster .177 cal pointed pellets. Give it 12 pumps, the neighbors
won't hear a thing, then check out this site.
http://pan-am.uniserve.com/pg000005.htm

Val

sherwindu said:


Rabbits have been attacking my young fruit trees and flower bed. Despite
having fencing around the plants, they manage to get in and chew things up.
Is there any way to get rid of them, short of shooting (my suburb doesn't allow
it). Can't keep dogs for other reasons, plus they can't be outside in all kinds of
bad weather.

1) A repellent that contains the ingredient BITREX will stop rabbits and deer
from chewing on plants. This can only be used on ornamental plants or trees
and shrubs that are not in fruit. (And don't get it on your hands. It isn't toxic
but is EXTREMELY bitter.) The stinky repellents are not as effective if the
varmints have already made a habit of feeding on your plants but will work
fairly well if used diligently after installing bedding plants or from the time
seedlings or perennials sprout out.

2) Rabbits can belive-trapped using cut up apples as bait. Having caught at
least one rabbit makes the trap more effective. Be sure the trap is on a hair
trigger as bunnies are rather light-footed. (No pun intended there!) Also
be sure the trap is cleaned of any manufacturing oils (if new).

3) Improve your fencing where you can. 1" hex netting ("chicken wire")
applied to the bottom of a fence with larger openings up to a height of
12" will stop most rabbits. Reinforce the bottom of the fence by burying
a short distance of hex net or running patio blocks along the outside edge
(makes a nice mowing strip).

4) Wrap the trunks of young fruit trees to protect them not only from rabbits
and voles but also from sunscald. Or box them in with hardware cloth.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

"Val" expounded:

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
shooting (my suburb doesn't allow it).


760 Pumpmaster .177 cal pointed pellets. Give it 12 pumps, the neighbors
won't hear a thing,

Cool. Will it take out a woodchuck?
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:13:49 -0600, sherwindu
wrote:

Rabbits have been attacking my young fruit trees and flower bed. Despite having

fencing around the plants, they manage to get in and chew things up. Is there
any way to get rid of them, short of shooting (my suburb doesn't allow it).
Can't keep
dogs for other reasons, plus they can't be outside in all kinds of bad weather.


There is rabbit fence. Chicken wire works too.

"Ann" wrote in message
...
"Val" expounded:

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
shooting (my suburb doesn't allow it).


760 Pumpmaster .177 cal pointed pellets. Give it 12 pumps, the
neighbors
won't hear a thing,

Cool. Will it take out a woodchuck?

Yes.

Val

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
Rabbits have been attacking my young fruit trees and flower bed. Despite
having

fencing around the plants, they manage to get in and chew things up. Is
there
any way to get rid of them, short of shooting (my suburb doesn't allow it).
Can't keep
dogs for other reasons, plus they can't be outside in all kinds of bad
weather.



The most effective solution depends on where the rabbits come from and how
many there are.

1) If you can locate the burrows and there are not too many, poison,
ferrets+nets or physical collapse will do the trick. The exhaust from a
vehicle (+nets) is toxic in a confined space and does not leave baits about
that other herbivores may eat. Some quite interesting critters may emerge
into your nets during this procedure, are there dangerous snakes in your area?

2) If you cannot access the burrows but the numbers are limited then poison,
trapping etc on your place has a chance of reducing the numbers to a
manageable level.

3) If the numbers are large then better fencing is the only practical solution
unless you, your neighbours and the County all declare war on bunnies at once.
If in plague numbers fencing is the only thing.

Solutions #1 and #2 will have to be repeated every few years as they will
breed up and make new burrows unless suppressed regularly.

David

"sherwindu" wrote in message

Rabbits have been attacking my young fruit trees and flower bed. Despite
having
fencing around the plants, they manage to get in and chew things up. Is
there
any way to get rid of them, short of shooting (my suburb doesn't allow
it).
Can't keep
dogs for other reasons, plus they can't be outside in all kinds of bad
weather.

I have read that blood and bone meal spread liberally round the plants is a
deterrant. Don't know if it works though.

Val said:

"Ann" wrote in message
...
"Val" expounded:

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
shooting (my suburb doesn't allow it).


760 Pumpmaster .177 cal pointed pellets. Give it 12 pumps, the
neighbors
won't hear a thing,

Cool. Will it take out a woodchuck?

Yes.

Horsehockey. A .177 pellet will NOT 'take out' a 15lb Marmota monax.

--

Eggs

Crime doesn't pay... does that mean my job is a crime?

On Fri, 1 Feb 2008 15:03:35 -0600, Eggs Zachtly
wrote:

Val said:

"Ann" wrote in message
...
"Val" expounded:

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
shooting (my suburb doesn't allow it).


760 Pumpmaster .177 cal pointed pellets. Give it 12 pumps, the
neighbors
won't hear a thing,

Cool. Will it take out a woodchuck?

Yes.

Horsehockey. A .177 pellet will NOT 'take out' a 15lb Marmota monax.

Maybe not from a 760 Pumpmaster, but an RWS 48 in .177 will
do it. Air-over pneumatic, 1100 fps. There are a few other
makes/models around that have even more oomph! (serious
price tags too...)

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

Leon Fisk expounded:

Maybe not from a 760 Pumpmaster, but an RWS 48 in .177 will
do it. Air-over pneumatic, 1100 fps. There are a few other
makes/models around that have even more oomph! (serious
price tags too...)

The Gamo we bought shoots at 1,200 feet per second. We'll see if
it'll kill the groundhog, I'll report this spring.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:03:56 -0500, Ann
wrote:

Leon Fisk expounded:

Maybe not from a 760 Pumpmaster, but an RWS 48 in .177 will
do it. Air-over pneumatic, 1100 fps. There are a few other
makes/models around that have even more oomph! (serious
price tags too...)

The Gamo we bought shoots at 1,200 feet per second. We'll see if
it'll kill the groundhog, I'll report this spring.

Be patient and get as close as reasonably possible. Make
sure you have good aim (use a rest) and shot placement. They
are quite muscular, tough critter, but it should do the job.

Don't expect it to be silent either. They (high-power spring
over air) make more noise than you would think. Oh, and
enjoy your new gardening tool

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

Leon Fisk wrote:
On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:03:56 -0500, Ann
wrote:

Leon Fisk expounded:

Maybe not from a 760 Pumpmaster, but an RWS 48 in .177 will
do it. Air-over pneumatic, 1100 fps. There are a few other
makes/models around that have even more oomph! (serious
price tags too...)

The Gamo we bought shoots at 1,200 feet per second. We'll see if
it'll kill the groundhog, I'll report this spring.

Be patient and get as close as reasonably possible. Make
sure you have good aim (use a rest) and shot placement. They
are quite muscular, tough critter, but it should do the job.

Don't expect it to be silent either. They (high-power spring
over air) make more noise than you would think. Oh, and
enjoy your new gardening tool

I'm curious--any reason not to use a crossbow on the little bugger?
Other than that you have to clean the arrow afterward?

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

I grow the hottest peppers I can get. I dry them and grind them and put
the dust where I don't want rabbits and deer to eat. I have been doing
this for about 4 years and it seems to work.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley





http://community.webtv.net/MelKelly/TheKids

"J. Clarke" expounded:

I'm curious--any reason not to use a crossbow on the little bugger?
Other than that you have to clean the arrow afterward?

They're illegal to firewithin 500' of a house around here,
unfortunately. Same with a .22, or I'd be using the one I already
have (
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************