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Bunnies - Friend or Foe
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Posted by barbaral z6NY (My Page) on Mon, Jun 12, 06 at 18:58
| For the past week or so, I've been visited by a cute little tan and gray bunnie. He is quite fearless and doesn't seemed too frightened by my presence. The only things I've seen him eat are weed seedlings and grass, and he doesn't appear to bother the plants. Having once thought (erroneously) that I could co-exist with beavers (at my lake house in the country), I'm not sure whether I should enjoy him, or chase him. I don't have a vegetable garden, so I don't know what kind of damage he (or his friends) can do. What do you think? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Bunnies - Friend or Foe
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| Hi Barb, Really not sure. Sorry I am of no help. |
RE: Bunnies - Friend or Foe
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| Sorry to say, but he is definitely a foe. Bunnies will eat many perennials, as well as stripping bark off young trees and shrubs. I would actively discourage him from visiting your garden. Do a search in the perennials forum for rabbits and you'll see what I mean. |
RE: Bunnies - Friend or Foe
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| I say its Wabbit hunting season!! Now, I love the cute little bunnies just as much as the next guy, but let me tell you what these critters can do!!! First he visited my flower bed and ate the tops (i.e. the pretty flowers) off all my petunias!!!! When we tried to scare him away, he would just sit there motionless. The caption above his head read "If I stop chewing, they can't see me anymore" The little nut!! Then all the grass patching my husband did, well lets say it was for naught!! We had one fat bunny that year!!! I have seen a lot less of him since they put in the golf course, but I do see him roaming the neighbors houses quite a bit... .... and you know what a bunny with a full tummy means? More bunnies!! :) Good luck and happy hunting!! (Kidding of course... I heard used kitty litter spread inconspicuously around the yard should solve your problem) |
RE: Bunnies - Friend or Foe
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| Dried blood sprinkled around deters them, and is also a good quick source of nitrogen for your plants. |
RE: Bunnies - Friend or Foe
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| Barbs, I had two constantly in my yard last year. I had no gardens last year so I dont know why they came by. but they were constantly moving their cuds. thanks for reminding me of their existence. Havent seen them this year - but ima lookin' out.. maybe you could try bloodmeal.. |
RE: Bunnies - Friend or Foe
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| Thanks one and all for the input. In addition to weeds and grass, he has now eaten the tops off the asters. But they were due for cutting back any way. I will try the blood meal, but since I'm leaving on a vacation in a day or so, it will have to wait until I get back. I hope I find I still have a garden! Hey Sylvia, your bunnie sounds just like mine. Are you sure your neighbors haven't taken him for a ride?:>) |
RE: Bunnies - Friend or Foe
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| Certain kinds of deer spray work too. You could give Liquid Fence a try. If you don't have time before your vacation to go out and buy stuff, you could try mixing some Tabasco with an egg and some garlic in the blender, straining that, and spraying. Good luck! |
OK I'll bite!!
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| Jayco wrote: "Dried blood sprinkled around deters them, and is also a good quick source of nitrogen for your plants" whose blood? and how much? How does one go about dripping it all over the yard? Surely there are less painful methods, No? |
RE: Bunnies - Friend or Foe
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| I believe it's steers' blood, but getting it and sprinkling it is not as hard as you think. No dripping involved! That's really gross, LOL! They sell it in bags at garden centers. It kind of looks like freeze-dried coffee. There are instructions for application rates on the bag, but if you just want it to deter bunnies, I think a thin sprinkling around the plants they like should do the trick. Unless you're a hard-core vegan or super-squeamish, I don't think it will bother you in the slightest, and your plants will like it! |
Here is a link that might be useful: Espoma dried blood
RE: Bunnies - Friend or Foe
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| Bunny update. Returned from a two week vacation and no sign of more bunny damage. And no sign of bunny. However, the asters that he topped have branched out and are doing fine. Maybe the great gardener in the sky decided I could use a helping hand (bunny). Now if only he had also topped the mums, it would have saved me another job. |
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