Hello All,


I've been lurking here for a while, and enjoyed many of the discussions on
here.

Please bear with me if I'm bringing up a subject that seems to reappear
every year, but I've done my searching and can't find any suitable answers
for my particular problem.

I've moved into a new housing estate last February, and I'm slowly working
my way towards getting the garden into shape, taking it a little at a time
as I'm new to gardening. At the front, I have a reasonable piece of turf,
with two borders - one at the furthest end of the garden from the house, and
the other beneath the living room window.

The border furthest from the house is constantly being used as a walk-in
restaurant by the local rabbit population, and I'm nearly driven to despair
by the tenacity of the little beggers. I have seen them destroy two
heathers, a couple of grasses (which were meant as sacrificial offerings in
any case), some lithodora, and some tritellia (sp?). There is also a dwarf
juniper that is VERY spiky and a small conifer (can't remember the exact
variety right now). Now that most of the readily edible material is gone,
the rabbits are starting to nip at the juniper and the conifer. When they
find that the shrubbery is not to their liking, they seem to decide that the
roots might be tastier, and take a little dig and nip there. Luckily, they
have not decided to gnaw at the bark of the Prunus 'Spire' that lives in the
same bed, but I fear it is only a matter of time...

The problem is that like most new estates, I am prevented from placing any
reasonable height of fencing to keep them away. I can't use ultrasound
devices as they would upset my two cats (and no, the cats aren't much help
as they were raised in a city flat and are just about the same size as the
rabbits!). Short of using the wonder spray (lead shot), is there anything
else I could be doing to discourage my little visitors?

I do have some other plants available that they may find distasteful,
however making a usable display out of them is another matter. I have a few
gentianas, a couple of linums, some lemon thyme, some crocosmia 'lucifer',
Rhus lacti-something or other (I think it's latin for milky sap?), scabiosa,
and lavenders (english and french). They are all either sitting on the back
patio waiting for a home, or in other parts of the garden. Are there any of
these that are known to be rabbit proof?

Thanks in advance,


John

"John Hutchison" wrote in message ...
Hello All,


I've been lurking here for a while, and enjoyed many of the discussions on
here.

Please bear with me if I'm bringing up a subject that seems to reappear
every year, but I've done my searching and can't find any suitable answers
for my particular problem.

I've moved into a new housing estate last February, and I'm slowly working
my way towards getting the garden into shape, taking it a little at a time
as I'm new to gardening. At the front, I have a reasonable piece of turf,
with two borders - one at the furthest end of the garden from the house, and
the other beneath the living room window.

The border furthest from the house is constantly being used as a walk-in
restaurant by the local rabbit population, and I'm nearly driven to despair
by the tenacity of the little beggers. I have seen them destroy two
heathers, a couple of grasses (which were meant as sacrificial offerings in
any case), some lithodora, and some tritellia (sp?). There is also a dwarf
juniper that is VERY spiky and a small conifer (can't remember the exact
variety right now). Now that most of the readily edible material is gone,
the rabbits are starting to nip at the juniper and the conifer. When they
find that the shrubbery is not to their liking, they seem to decide that the
roots might be tastier, and take a little dig and nip there. Luckily, they
have not decided to gnaw at the bark of the Prunus 'Spire' that lives in the
same bed, but I fear it is only a matter of time...

The problem is that like most new estates, I am prevented from placing any
reasonable height of fencing to keep them away. I can't use ultrasound
devices as they would upset my two cats (and no, the cats aren't much help
as they were raised in a city flat and are just about the same size as the
rabbits!). Short of using the wonder spray (lead shot), is there anything
else I could be doing to discourage my little visitors?

I do have some other plants available that they may find distasteful,
however making a usable display out of them is another matter. I have a few
gentianas, a couple of linums, some lemon thyme, some crocosmia 'lucifer',
Rhus lacti-something or other (I think it's latin for milky sap?), scabiosa,
and lavenders (english and french). They are all either sitting on the back
patio waiting for a home, or in other parts of the garden. Are there any of
these that are known to be rabbit proof?

Thanks in advance,

We keep rabbits out of new planting by using very low fences of wire netting. 18 inches high is sufficient you need 1
inch mesh, baby bunnies can get through 2 inch mesh. You can grow dwarf shrubs like lavender, callunas, cistus etc
through a fence like that to make it virtually invisible. You can use spiral rabbit guards on anything with a single
stem like your prunus.
Another trick we've used is wire or plastic mesh guard around individual shrubs - the shrub eventually grows through it
by which time the plant is big enough to fend for itself and the mesh can be cut away. This works especially well with
things that make a bit of a thicket like berberis or roses.

Rod

Rabbit proof plants|shrubs

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/l...185123690.html

Regards,
Emrys Davies.





"John Hutchison" wrote in message
...
Hello All,


I've been lurking here for a while, and enjoyed many of the
discussions on
here.

Please bear with me if I'm bringing up a subject that seems to
reappear
every year, but I've done my searching and can't find any suitable
answers
for my particular problem.

I've moved into a new housing estate last February, and I'm slowly
working
my way towards getting the garden into shape, taking it a little at a
time
as I'm new to gardening. At the front, I have a reasonable piece of
turf,
with two borders - one at the furthest end of the garden from the
house, and
the other beneath the living room window.

The border furthest from the house is constantly being used as a
walk-in
restaurant by the local rabbit population, and I'm nearly driven to
despair
by the tenacity of the little beggers. I have seen them destroy two
heathers, a couple of grasses (which were meant as sacrificial
offerings in
any case), some lithodora, and some tritellia (sp?). There is also a
dwarf
juniper that is VERY spiky and a small conifer (can't remember the
exact
variety right now). Now that most of the readily edible material is
gone,
the rabbits are starting to nip at the juniper and the conifer. When
they
find that the shrubbery is not to their liking, they seem to decide
that the
roots might be tastier, and take a little dig and nip there. Luckily,
they
have not decided to gnaw at the bark of the Prunus 'Spire' that lives
in the
same bed, but I fear it is only a matter of time...

The problem is that like most new estates, I am prevented from placing
any
reasonable height of fencing to keep them away. I can't use
ultrasound
devices as they would upset my two cats (and no, the cats aren't much
help
as they were raised in a city flat and are just about the same size as
the
rabbits!). Short of using the wonder spray (lead shot), is there
anything
else I could be doing to discourage my little visitors?

I do have some other plants available that they may find distasteful,
however making a usable display out of them is another matter. I have
a few
gentianas, a couple of linums, some lemon thyme, some crocosmia
'lucifer',
Rhus lacti-something or other (I think it's latin for milky sap?),
scabiosa,
and lavenders (english and french). They are all either sitting on
the back
patio waiting for a home, or in other parts of the garden. Are there
any of
these that are known to be rabbit proof?

Thanks in advance,


John

"John Hutchison" wrote in message
...
Hello All,
The border furthest from the house is constantly being used as a
walk-in
restaurant by the local rabbit population,
Thanks in advance,
John

snipped

Hi John

here's a few sites which may be of help:

Humane traps !
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/info/info50.html
http://www.traps.freeuk.com/rabbit-t...hing-hints.htm
Catch the beasties and discover the joys of a good rabbit pie or
rehouse them 20 miles away ?

Anti rabbit plants :
http://www.magicallandscapes.com/Dee...d%20Slugs.html
http://www.sperlingnursery.com/InfoS...deerrabbit.pdf

Nasty chemical solutions:
http://www.critter-repellent.com/get..._repellant.htm

Bloodmeal as a deterrent (good for the soil at the same time!)
http://www.livingwithwildlife.com/ba...s_rabbits.html

HTH Jenny

You don't need a very high fence to keep rabbits out, waist high would
be adequate. Use small mesh and bury the bottom at least eighteen inches
in the ground.

Our cat and two jack russels would love to see more rabbits in the
garden, so could you get a harder cat?

Depending on the location of other gardens and houses, an air rifle
would do the trick nicely as well, although I suspect this is not an
option in your case.

Catch the beasties and discover the joys of a good rabbit pie or
rehouse them 20 miles away ?

Rabbit pie is fine but releasing them is an offence.

"John Hutchison" wrote in message
...
Hello All,


I've been lurking here for a while, and enjoyed many of the discussions on
here.

Please bear with me if I'm bringing up a subject that seems to reappear
every year, but I've done my searching and can't find any suitable answers
for my particular problem.

I've moved into a new housing estate last February, and I'm slowly working
my way towards getting the garden into shape, taking it a little at a time
as I'm new to gardening. At the front, I have a reasonable piece of turf,
with two borders - one at the furthest end of the garden from the house,
and
the other beneath the living room window.

The border furthest from the house is constantly being used as a walk-in
restaurant by the local rabbit population, and I'm nearly driven to
despair
by the tenacity of the little beggers. I have seen them destroy two
heathers, a couple of grasses (which were meant as sacrificial offerings
in
any case), some lithodora, and some tritellia (sp?). There is also a
dwarf
juniper that is VERY spiky and a small conifer (can't remember the exact
variety right now). Now that most of the readily edible material is gone,
the rabbits are starting to nip at the juniper and the conifer. When they
find that the shrubbery is not to their liking, they seem to decide that
the
roots might be tastier, and take a little dig and nip there. Luckily,
they
have not decided to gnaw at the bark of the Prunus 'Spire' that lives in
the
same bed, but I fear it is only a matter of time...

The problem is that like most new estates, I am prevented from placing any
reasonable height of fencing to keep them away. I can't use ultrasound
devices as they would upset my two cats (and no, the cats aren't much help
as they were raised in a city flat and are just about the same size as the
rabbits!). Short of using the wonder spray (lead shot), is there anything
else I could be doing to discourage my little visitors?

A mink/rat trap from Mole Valley Farmers, placed in the rabbit run, then you
can have rabbit pie as often as you like, there will always be a fresh
supply.

Alan
--
Reply to alan(at)windsor-berks(dot)freeserve(dot)co(dot)uk

"Peter Crosland" wrote in message
...
Catch the beasties and discover the joys of a good rabbit pie or
rehouse them 20 miles away ?

Rabbit pie is fine but releasing them is an offence.

Why ???????

Jenny

In message , JennyC
writes

"Peter Crosland" wrote in message
[...]
Rabbit pie is fine but releasing them is an offence.

Why ???????

They are invasive and spread like butter - whole areas of the Uk are
becoming knee-deep in rabbit pies! Eating them can make your hair fall
out - after all, haven't you ever heard of piebald horses!

Jenny

David
ps: Sorry that my first posting to this list is one such as this!

--
David D Stretch: Stoke-on-Trent, UK.

"JennyC" wrote in news:b3nalp$1nn7aa$1@ID-
91345.news.dfncis.de:

"Peter Crosland" wrote in message
...
Catch the beasties and discover the joys of a good rabbit pie or
rehouse them 20 miles away ?

Rabbit pie is fine but releasing them is an offence.

Why ???????

I'd guess because the people 20 miles away don't want a rabbit infestation
either?

Though relocation is not a particularly soft option for the rabbit anyway,
so if that is the theory, it's a bit flawed. Rabbits aren't so tough that
if you dump one in a random location 20 miles from home they will
necessarily survive. More likely it would become someone else's lunch, get
run over, or have a heart attack from the shock of the journey. Plus the
rabbit you relocate may have a litter of kittens waiting for her to come
home.

I think the only honest approaches are learning to like the rabbits, or
learn to like rabbit pie.

Pointless rabbit fact: the Normans had great difficulty introducing the
rabbit to Britain: they kept dying off and had to be pampered with great
care.

Victoria

"JennyC" wrote in message
...

"Peter Crosland" wrote in message
...
Catch the beasties and discover the joys of a good rabbit pie or
rehouse them 20 miles away ?

Rabbit pie is fine but releasing them is an offence.

Why ???????


See
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-cou...bbit.htm#legal

Rabbits are pests under the 1954 pests Act, and every occupier of land is
responsible for destroying wild rabbits on his/her land or for taking steps
to prevent them causing damage. This is a continuing obligation.

However, not many people take much notice, and DEFRA will usually only step
in and order action to be taken in respect of severe outbreaks affecting
agricultural or horticultural land, not domestic gardens.

No-one is ever likely to wipe out rabbits in the UK, so the trick is to
either get used to them, or to protect vulnerable plants, usually with wire
netting. If the warren can be located, it can sometimes be fenced off from
the vulnerable area - rabbits do not travel far to feed. People blazing away
at rabbits in open plan front gardens on residential estates are more likely
to fall foul of the law than people releasing rabbits 20 miles away, though,
for some unknown reason.

"John Hutchison" wrote in message
...

Surely the answer is to break the estate rules and put up a fence
regardless. Who's going to do anything about it? ...

On Wed, 26 Feb 2003 18:40:39 -0000, "John Hutchison"
wrote:

Short of using the wonder spray (lead shot), is there anything
else I could be doing to discourage my little visitors?

Mixymatosis? if you're anywhere near here I could supply you with a
mixy coney f.o.c.

--
Derek Turner

Outlook Express is worth precisely what you paid for it.

"John Hutchison" wrote in message
...
Hello All,
The border furthest from the house is constantly being used as a walk-in
restaurant by the local rabbit population, and I'm nearly driven to
despair
by the tenacity of the little beggers. I have seen them destroy two
snip

I hesitate to suggest this but one technique to repel sharks from beaches is
to weigh a dead shark on the sea floor. Maybe stringing up one dead rabbit
on your boundary for a few days would give the remaining rabbits the
message? I guess this would be more acceptable in rural areas than in your
typical modern housing development :-)

I've also seen a hose rigged up to a PIR ( Passive Infrared sensor) which
sprayed whatever walked in front of it.

Similar to Rod's suggestion for a cage around plants, an upturned wire
hanging basket may look nicer if you don't want chicken wire all around your
garden.

No one's suggested chilli sauce sprayed on plants. I know birds aren't
affected by chillies but as far as I know rabbits would be.

Are you sure they're coming to eat the plants? We used to have pet rabbits
that would bite things down to the ground just because they were in the way
of the runs they naturally maintain as escape routes. Maybe your new house
has been built on top of an old rabbit run? If so they'll kill plants that
they wouldn't normally touch.

Our pet rabbit used to regularly jump a 3ft fence so we had to put an extra
2ft of wire on top to stop it escaping. They'll also tunnel under fences so
if you do put up a fence, be prepared to attach buried chicken wire to it.
Nail it to the bottom of the fence, then down a foot and another foot
horizontally out in the direction the rabbits approach. Then they get to the
fence, dig down and hit the chicken wire. Unless they're smart enough to
start digging a couple of feet away from the fence, they'll never get
through.

Finally, Warwick is probably right about nobody enforcing the rules as long
as you're reasonable about things. I'm on a new development with all sorts
of silly rules such as not having satellite dishes on the front or sides of
the houses but everyone has them anyway. I think a lot of the rules are just
to keep the development looking nice and open/uniform while they try and
sell the remaining houses.

Martin

"Peter Crosland" wrote in message
...
Catch the beasties and discover the joys of a good rabbit pie or
rehouse them 20 miles away ?

Rabbit pie is fine but releasing them is an offence.

You could go up to North Lancashire and catch one, most of them
seem to have myxamitosis (SP?), so releasing one of those down
here would help to control the rabbit population, although I don't
think I'd want one of those in a rabbit pie!

Alan
--
Reply to alan(at)windsor-berks(dot)freeserve(dot)co(dot)uk