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Is There A Proven Humane Method For Keeping The Bunnies Away- No Matter How Much I Improve Fencing Etc In Garden They Are Still Regularly Getting In And Having A Feast- Help Please!!!

Welcome to the Vine MAB - although our Pest of Choice appears to be pigeons at the Hill, there are plenty of grapes on here who have experience of bunnies, who will be able to help you, I'm sure...

I'm not sure how 'humane' their methods are, tho'..........but I understand that rabbit stew tastes rather good.....

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Sat 15/11/2008......there's gold in them thar...compost bins!......

MAB, we have a real issue with rabbits. So when I started up I chose a site for my veg patch and totally enclosed it. Posts with chicken wire laid out flat along the ground for a foot before going up the posts. I then netted the whole thing!

This has really worked well keeping pretty much everything out (except the odd butterfly since I had to fix the roof after snow damage!).

My only issue now is the rabbits in the rest of the garden - I'm thinking about electric fencing round a rose bed that they have played havoc with but........not sure yet.

Hi MAB and welcome to the Vine. Hope you enjoy it like the rest of us!

Rabbits - where do I start! Over the years they have been an incredible problem for us, and we have tried everything possible. If you do a search on "rabbits" I'm sure you will pick up alot of threads already covering the subject as there are a number of us with the same problem.

In a nutshell I've made my veg area, which is in a 1/4 acre field beside the house rabbit free by chicken wire fencing all the gaps and gates in the 5 foot high dry stone wall, buried it and encouraged the grass to grow up around it. It is now very sturdy and we havent had a rabbit in there for four years now. Sadly the rest of the garden is not so easy to fence, 1/2 acre of a mixture of post and wire fencing and dry stane walls, so we have had to resort to non-humane methods.

Everyone has to make their own decision on this one. But it can be soul destroying to lose absolutely everything to the rabbits - trees, shrubs, flowers, grass (burrows), fruit and the veg (as happened to us).

Goodluck!!

Thanks For The Welcome And The Tips So Far- My Thinking Towards Rabbits Is Now Leaning Less To The Humane Side After They Have Been Through My Swedes Again Last Night!
Anyway I Have A Feeling I May Be Asking Questions On This Site Rather Often Over The Coming Months And Years-please Be Patient If I Ask What Would Seem To Be Obvious Or Dopey Questions!!
Would Have Started Ages Ago But Have Only Just Got A Garden Where I Can Really Have A Go At It- Hopefully By This Time Next Year I May Be Able To Answer Some Questions As Well As Ask. Cheers All.

I wonder in you might be able to persuade the local raptor association to fly the birds of prey around a bit to scare off the bunnies?

One of our local schools which was planning some essential tree felling work this summer has done did just that in order to stop any of the song birds from making nests in the trees.

Mind you, if bunnies are noctural (are they?) I guess that wouldn't work.

Hope you win the battle tho'! Besides swedes, what else are you growing? And we are very nosy here at the vine, and would love to see some pics! And there are no dopey questions!

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Sat 15/11/2008......there's gold in them thar...compost bins!......

I want to say good luck too - we don't have much of a wild rabbit problem but our 2 pet bunnies make short work of anything they brush past (which is geat when its dandelions but not so great when its a fuchsia or blueberry!) I think our decking is just like a sweet shop as they hop from pot to pot nibbling and chomping at anything that takes their fancy. I have so much trouble with our (impossibly cute) bunnies which are only in the garden when we are that I cannot imagine what hundreds of the uninvited kind can do

just wanted to say welcome, and if you need rabbit recipees i'm your gal.

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Yo an' Bob
Walk lightly on the earth
take only what you need
give all you can
and your produce will be bountifull

Welcome to the Vine MAB. I'm not in the shoot it and kill it brigade. BUT rabbits - you can't garden with rabbits. They eat everything. If you have a small garden you can fence it off with rabbit proof fencing, or in a bigger garden you can fence of a section and let the rabbits have the rest. Or you can kill them - as far as you can. The best approach is probably a mixture of fencing and killing to keep the numbers down. And they do taste great.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Unlike Alice I am in the shoot to kill brigade - got another one tonight.
Seriously, the only sure fire way to keep them out is a net fence, about 4ft high and at least a ft underground turned out at right angles as mentioned previously.
Even then, you should keep a watchful eye out for any breaches - and then shoot them or set snares where the breach is.
The only good rabbit is on a plate !

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

I was really trying to be diplomatic! .......... but yes a good rabbit pie and homegrown vegetables .......... yummy!

Have to agree with SR, only real way to deal with them is either very good strong net fencing, buried at least a foot underground, or shooting! We got unofficial permission to shoot on our allotment site last week, as we are being absolutely plagued by wabbits! Managed to bag a small one on our first trip and are going back down again tonight, if it isnt too windy!

Fortunately we both love rabbit to eat, Stifado made with wabbit is to die for, and poachers pie is also very tasty indeed!

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Blessings
Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - a blogspot work in progress!
Last updated 5th November2008 - new piccies!

some of these are really great suggestions but i am afraid i am just a wimp when it comes to cute animals [i recently ruined a holiday in spain by inadvertently eating rabbit in a mixed grill: i felt so guilty!!] not sure i could handle bunny death on a large scale!!
someone at work mentioned hot chilli powder put around all the plants as a deterrent?? does anyone have any experience of whether that works or not???

I cant think of rabbits as cute!! A couple of good whippets will keep them down.
I was once advised by a priest in Ireland to suspend creosote-soaked string around your veg. plot. Apparently the smell keeps them at bay.
I prefer to eat them though(the rabbits-not the creosote soaked strings) they really are a pest.

I am with S.W. on this one..Mmmm Rabbit

Geo..

Hi MAB,

I seem to have sorted my problem rabbits out by mistake.
Got hold of some old railway sleepers to form raised beds and the creasote in them just keeps the bunnies well away, they hate it!

That said, I can see them planning and expect to find them on recce patrols with gas masks etc......... I'll go and lie down now


Darren

Welcome MAB.

*stands up*

My name's Wayne and I'm a card carrying rabbit disliker. I have been wabbit-free for just over a month now...

I decided to fence my entire plot in (see my blog), and I go on regular patrols to check for breaches in the perimeter, and I'm pleased to report that other than the odd pile of wabbit poo on the outside, there is no signs of the bleeders.

Now, on to pigeons....

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

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A simple dude trying to grow veg.

http://haywayne.blogspot.com/ - Minor update - 10th November

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev036pr___.png

Hello yep i am still here fully insured with Basc i use pre silenced below the limit air rifles with telscopic scope idea for control of rabbits pigeon small vermin can also ferrit if need be all i need is land owner permission and will discreetly dispatch your problems either night time or early morning when they are about free of charge i can skin em for you as well if you want to eat them . willing to travel up to 80 mile.