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Ok so one bitty bunny I constantly see at dawn and evening has mowed down my sunflower patch...reduced my impatients, munched on my petunias.....HELP!!! All that clover in my backyard has satisfied the 2-3 bunnies over the years but for some reason this one bunny has exsquite tastes....

What I have tried and may be working but what do you suggest....?

Hair clippings from my childrens haircuts spread about....planting some marigolds amongst my new sunflowers to be planted...spraying affected areas with mix of cayenne pepper, dishsoap and crushed garlic cloves in big jug of water directly onto plants and surround. Plus my kids are chasing him away to try to deter him as well.....not open to harming the bunny but what else to do?

THANKS!

p.s. since when don't the smilies function!?!?!?!

Added to note above smily was manually induced....

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GreenAlice,

Catch him in a cage & take him for a ride to an area just perfect for the likes of him!

My brother has a trap and takes rabbits for a ride across the bridge/river.

I thought it was just me that I couldn't get the faces to work

Oh dear, is it a bunny? Most of my sunflowers have been mowed down as well, and I too have plenty of clover. I've been blaming our resident fat groundhog. Can't relocate bunnies here, we're too countrified...it would be ridiculous...but we could use firepower ;o)

ve

Aww Can't kill those critters...just relocating works for me.

Fried rabbit is GOOD! And it makes a good gravy too!

OMG Good Grief!

Too funny, one gf at the gym from Australia says she grew up eating rabbit and was willing to come over and get mine....

I adore bunny rabbits...have a few statues of such in one garden...we thought to threaten him with being turned to stone but how to communicate?!?!(insert tounge sticking out smiley here)

I relocate my mice in live traps because my children resent otherwise...ugh....so bunnies being higher up the cuteness change would have to be ultimately dealt with as such I suppose!

I read a few gardenblogs about peeps not being able to catch them in traps....if all else fails I suppose that's the ultimate solution. Seems once the taste flower petals, they're hooked for life!!!

Had not considered groundhogs...seen a chipmunk run by...but saw said bunny in vicinity twice...so I assume he is the culprit. Today I planted some massive marilgolds amongst my struggling recoveries and by some newly sown seed....followed up with garlic spray!!!!

Have not seen bunny in last couple days...either my methods are working, he has relocated, or is no longer on this planet....

My DH caught baby bunnies with gloved hands & we took to park in a box...but once when trying to trap with apples we caught one frantic squirrel!

quote:

Originally posted by muddyshoes:
My DH caught baby bunnies with gloved hands & we took to park in a box...but once when trying to trap with apples we caught one frantic squirrel!

OH MY!!!(Insert Shocked Smiley here...)

Was it this cutie?

Or this one?

Who has the heart to shoot that tender little soul~~ who is just hungry?

Depends on how big it has grown & how hungry I am!
But rest easy Muddy, I don't like squirrel near as well as rabbit!

quote:

Originally posted by ga.karen:
Fried rabbit is GOOD! And it makes a good gravy too!

Yes, but it is a bit dry. Now raccoon and rabbit cooked together is moist.


Green Alice, we don't have rabbits here but I have read that bird netting works to prevent rabbits from damaging your plants.

LOLing - GaKaren, you are truly a Kuntry Girl!!

Relocating rabbits here is laughable..what are we supposed to do, tote him over to the next holler and let him eat up the neighbors garden? And what about all of his brothers and sisters and first, second, third & fourth cousins still living here? Maybe we could go to the Health Dept and get free birth c*ntrol for the varmits! ;o)

ve

Couldn't live with shooting bunnies on my mind.

Cute bunny pics...I gave in and bought trap yesterday. $55..EEK!!!! NO bunny as of yet...nice trail of petunia blossoms in to carrot and lettuce smorgasbord....he hopped right by it last night and darn it...had to add the teaser petunias....hopefully this will work...otherwise I am offering my out of school children **$ to catch it...left laundry basket outside...somtimes you can just walk up to it's vicinity but need open area....and TIME!!!(boy I miss those smilies....) This happened once before and I had to print out a manual smiley cheatsheet.....(rolleyes)

Alice, look on the thread titled "Smiley Post" and you'll find the directions on there again. I printed it off and have it handy right above my computer!

Alice, do you have any alfalfa pellets or cracked corn? Bunnies like both of those to nibble on!
Next time you need a trap, check at TSC (Tractor Supply Co.) or call your humane society. Some of the humane societies have traps they lend for catching varmits.

stilltrin, ours has never been dry. Do you soak it overnight in salt water? We always did. I'll pass on the coon! Had it once & it was way tooooo greasy for me! And no possum either...that one just was too tough!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ga.karen,

they are so cute.. sorry that they are such a garden pest. wish i could catch your trouble maker and keep him.

Thanks Karen! Will seek out smiley post...feels rather na ked without them....LOL can't even italicize....sigh....

Perhaps I will seek out some bunny food at pet store to up the ante to my organic apples, lettuce and carrots in trap already...a smorgasbord but no hopping about.....

Today I was chatting up grocery lady who said she noticed chipmunks nibbling her flowers in bites....now I wonder if they are contributing as well. I saw bunny in sunflower, impatient, petunia patches....I know he is responsible to anything clipped completely off but have noticed in particular my wave petunias have large nibbles out of them and no sign of insects around....maybe it is a chipmunk. Darn I thought they just ate nuts?!?!? I know Chip and Dale did go for picnic baskets though...ha ha....

I noticed bunny hiding out behind neighbors garage last three evenings at dusk....going to ask if I can place trap there tonight!

The battle wages on.....SAVE MY FLOWERS!!!!

I have rabbit problems too and I just ordered a 5lb jug of Fox Urine, which is supposed to scare off rabbits, squirrels and other critters.
If it works I'll let you know.
------------------------
btw, I have alfalfa pellets in a bag, apparently that attracts them. I might just get rid of it; I was using it for some fertilizer "tea" but I'll come up with a plan B or something.

Can you aim your garden hose at it when you see it?

Kosh....handle that stuff with rubber gloves or you will be very sorry!!!!!!!!! AND OUTSIDE ONLY!!!!

This discussion has me curious about whether alfalfa pellets REALLY attract bunnies!

On another gardening forum I frequent, most folks there use alfalfa pellets in their gardens too (not the tea, just the pellets). When someone will ask, "doesn't that attract bunnies?", they'll invariably say no, it doesn't, because wild rabbits don't eat freeze dried artificial food supplements when they can have fresh green growing foliage or flowers. It's only domesticated rabbits who have gotten used to a diet of alfalfa pellets!

Now, I don't know...I do know that I have never had a problem with rabbits when I have sprinkled them in my garden. Never before this year, and I have not used them at all yet this year. I wonder if I'll start seeing more rabbits if I do sprinkle them?

Do we really know that alfalfa pellets attract rabbits, or does it just seem so because it just happens to be "rabbit food"? Inquiring minds want to know.....

I grew up eating rabbit stew and the like....I have a great recipe for it. It's just that I really can't see you shooting, gutting and skinning the critters. That would be the difficult part.

Ok now don't y'all laugh....set up my Havahart bunny trap and twice now it snapped and no bunny had...food not eaten...so I venture to guess bunny was messing around next to it and triggered the catch...BAD design that leaves set up available to the prey....

(See I am smiling again!)

Will try a couple more times....and camoflague the trigger spot better....neighbor said I can put it behind his garage where it goes daily for certain to hide.

Now to figure out the tricky set up....LOL DH did not do it this morn and did not show me how....Must read directions.....

Bounty of $10 to my teens might be upped...they are coming up with all sorts of ideas.... Did not bother them much til they munched on their dill plants!!!

quote:

Originally posted by zone9alady:
I grew up eating rabbit stew and the like....I have a great recipe for it. It's just that I really can't see you shooting, gutting and skinning the critters. That would be the difficult part.

You are so funny. I can just see Alice trying to to snap shoot. Can you imagine her children's reaction if they saw her hanging the rabbit up on a hook to skin it and age it.

The rabbit I have cooked came from the supermarket.

LOL! Last time I cooked Rabbit Etouffee I bought it at Publix. I couldn't believe the cost...it ended up costing $32.00 for 3 little rabbits!

zone9, you need to find a local grower. I'll bet there is at least one around there some place. My brother in Ill. used to raise meat rabbits.

Karen, I use the alfalfa pellets in my beds too. No the wild adult rabbits don't normally mess with them cause there is PLENTY of green food but a smaller one might be curious. They all do like cracked corn & eat it nightly out of my big clay pot saucer...that I fill for the birds.

LOL my children would disown me....just figured out how to set trap and set it up in back of yard and neigbors started chatting me up....after about half hour I turned around to head back to house to see the itty bunny run towards house and under my son's bumpout closet....NOW i know where he probably lives and moved trap between rain barrels....I have seen a larger rabbit about but don't think those have been eating my little things...but KNOW the itty bunny has...busted in the act et al.....

The adventures of gardening....now has anyone seen chipmunks munching on flowers?
After one lady had told me of that I mentioned it at the fence to be told a mean ol' nasty cat living a few down used to eat them and it passed...thus the sudden notice of chipmunks whereas none seen in decades here. Maybe I'll catch them too....

Fancy rabbit dishes eh....come on over and free pickings here...

Have seen the little guy in trap but does not spring...made it more sensitive and trying again....meanwhile my son observed at least he is eating the bait and NOT my flowers...so I must consider that some success. Once I fatten him up a bit he may weigh enough to spring the mechanism....

YIPPEE!!! Success is mine...the cutie was patiently sitting in my trap this morn and I fed him more apples and relocated asap 2 miles away in a big natural area of a park.

I did have to set the Havahart trap to the most sensitive trigger setting and finally it caught my muncher.

I even checked out books on ideas to deter pests from Mr. Baker....will be a more relaxing read now. Think the chipmunks are climbing up into my large front porch pots and eating my dusty miller....grrrrrrrrrrrrr....cayenne pepper spray goes there too!!! Thought containers were safe!!!

Ok now Alice don's her battle gear to combat my returned nemesis...the SLUGS.....

Set my beer traps out and caught some huge ones...tripped up to home depot and got some Elemental Slug Killer granules just in case...I hate hate hate using anything that may compromise a beneficial bug....but of course I googled around some more to see what else works for folks.

I am going to try cornmeal in a canning jar on it's side....says they love it and well...it expands internally for the gluttons.... So tonight? Cornmeal for dessert....watch out slugs...Alice loves her flowers....

Anyone else had luck with earth friendly methods besides hand picking?

I dry & crush my egg shells to scatter around my hostas where the slugs like to dine. They don't like to crawl across egg shells because they're sharp & cut them up. Since I started doing that, I don't have slug problems. When I used 'sluggo', I had to reapply it after a rain & the little brown pellets were ugly, too. Pretty organic, I'd say.

Thanks mgt...will save my egg shells and place round hosta they bother most.

I did catch about 15 in my jars with cornmeal....fat ones at that....and hand picked a dozen more at evening and early morn. More swimming in beer as well.

Did sprinkle some elemental slug bait round my impatient bed....too dense...'cept where they demolished plants already...too dense and vast to search and handpick 'em....not enough space to bury beer traps either.



Eew.....

I don't know how you all catch them in the act! I have tons of hostas and I rarely ever see a slug--oh, I see their slime trails and the lacy leaves as evidence that they've had dinner, but I guess mine are NINJA SLUGS or something!

Last year, I used boxes and boxes of Buggetta, and it seemed to have cleared out a small village worth of snails. I had shells everywhere! The thing about that, though, it's a bait--and it actually DRAWS the slugs to your plants!

This year, I admit I have not been as diligent, but I'm using ammonia and water, in a ratio of 1:10, and spraying it on the plants, as well as the mulch surrounding them. That seems to have done pretty well. In fact, I need to do it again... My hostas probably don't look as good as they did last year, but I'm sure I'm not seeing the amount of snails I had before.

You really have to know what you're up against, with this gardening thing, dontcha???

That's just it....til you can identify whom is snacking on your treasures it's a big mystery what to do!

White Flies are allover my hollyhocks now and I got some ecospray at HD I am going to tryout...LOL we are SOOO out numbered!!!

I saw one of these today and let him pass....to later wonder what HE eats! ;D I now see he is a potato bug....and while I have NO potatoes...oh wait....maybe he likes my sweet potato vine better check....he also seems to like tomato and peppers.....maybe I will not be so kind to let him off so easy next time we meet!!!

Karen...it's always something out there isn't it!?!

OMG, your slugs are disgusting. I've never known anyone to have that many. Ewwwwwww. Since I started using the egg shells I don't even see their slime trails...don't know where they go, but at least they're not here.

Oh, ick, potato bugs. I remember picking them at my grandparent's garden when I was a kid. I hated that job. The bugs have sticky feet & they'd cling to my fingers. As a little kid that was freaky.

I have never had an issue with them til this year and have been pondering what's up with that? My only change is that instead of getting my free compost and mulch from MY city's yardwaste program, I got it from a neighboring city...open to all....wonder if the mulch and compost was laden with slug eggs?!?!!

More beer traps set up....will be on constant vigil and YES mgt aren't they disgusting?!?! LOL!!! I refuse to squish them but my handy ziploc bags seal their fate and into the trash they go.

Thinking my cute little bunny was at least adorable vs slimy invaders who lurk at night....

I have to agree about the bunny vs. the slugs. You can drop the slugs in a bucket of soapy water, too. Bleah.

Or let the kids sprinkle them with salt & watch them foam! I know, I'm heartless!
Oyster shell will work for spreading around plants too...like the egg shells. It's sold where you get chicken feed/supplies. That would give you more faster and it's organic too.

I went out to do my ammonia water spray, and I found evidence of cutworms. Several of my hostas had the stems completely detached at ground level. So, I marched myself (actually, I drove, but you get the idea!) to HD and got Buggetta Plus, which will kill 2, er, worms? with one stone! I'm declaring war, too, Alice!!

Gakaren....Oyster shells eh? I was just thinking this morn that I will have to crack alot of eggs to get all my hostas surrounded....starting with one. But I like that idea to have on hand for slug breakouts. THANKS! Not very many slugs sliming about this morning.... Wonder if I won a squirmish but the battle will go on and on all summer?!?!?! :confusion:

OOOOoooOoooh Noooo Karen has elevated herself up ranked to General of Hosta Defense....it can just be so overwhelming....I always wonder whom else I am knocking out when drawing up a battle plan! Like we need a PhD in entomology....

Like my beer traps also caught a slew of pill bugs....and some moth caterpillar(don't tell my kids) and ants are marching off with some of the cornmeal....no harm there.

Today's ammunition was this ecospray on the whitefly population hollyhocks....nice smelling...but will it work?!?! They have a whole line some at HD...
I don't see any flying about hours later soooo...we shall see.

Alright ladies...man(?) your battlestations!!! Our Gardens are worth the effort....

http://www.ecosmart.com/products/garden-insect64/

Read more on Ms. Potato bug....she will lay 500 eggs!!! Crunch...

Hey and I read not to use salt as it can wreak havoc on your soil....

Yep, salt is not good for the soil. The only time I used salt on slugs was when I found them when I worked at a greenhouse. We had concrete bays, so I'd sprinkle the slug when I found it on the bay. It did seem cruel, tho. But, we didn't have beer at work.