Rabbits Be Gone

Anyone out there with suggestions on how to keep rabbits away from my irises. They are
jumping the chicken wire and eating all the new green growth. I have too much invested both
emotionally and financially to not fight back. I have tried several sprays and a FOX URINE
dust UGH! Does anyone have a home remedy that works. Syl

.22

grannymarch, I stared at this .22 and thought WHAT! Then I got it. You made my
day, I really needed a good laugh. Thanks, wish I could meet you. Syl

I wish I could help.....I've got the same problem. Eaten down to the ground.....little nubbins!!! They really love my daylilies more than the Iris though. Hope someone has a solution.

Are they coming under the wire or over it. Aren't most western rabbits Hares? they dig We have used liquid fox urine around chipmunks, which of course are smaller than rabbits. Do you use it along the fence line?.

Have you tried hot pepper flakes?

I used the fox urine, which comes in powder form, around the perimeter of the wire. I
believe they mostly come over the top. I also have an adobe wall about 3 1/2 "
tall and they can scale it in a second. I have not tried hot pepper flakes. How do
you apply it. I have heard of hot pepper spray, home made I guess. It is sprayed
directly on the leaves, but probably washes off with rain or sprinkling.

if .22 doesn't work, try a CAT. that works the best here.

editted to add - rabbits are a problem for the old veggie garden. but they are not an issue in my TB irises.

This message was edited Feb 20, 2010 8:00 PM

Wow, I thought the .22 was a very good idea. The rabbits don't bother our iris gardens, but they do nibble the weeds between plants. Maybe the rabbits are hungrier in NM than AZ. ^_^

Wow! Weeding rabbits!!

try planting something tastey for them. Maybe they will leave your iris alone.

of course if that don't work, you could also try live traps?
Or a cat or maybe a dog.

they pay no attention whatsoever to our dog, although she will chase them. But she doesn't HUNT them. we got a kitten back in November. And she was an abandoned animal out near farms and took up living as a barn cat. she was advertised online as a mouser, and I believe it. Although she is the sweetest tempered cat I've ever met, she hunts just about anything.

she's already caught a mouse inside the house. We've all noticed a decrease in both rabbits and squirrels in the yard. She's caught mice outside, too.

The trouble with outdoor cats here is the coyotes. With luck they will take care of any rabbits but don't seem to have decreased the deer population very much. I know of 2 the coyotes have killed & eaten everything but hair, but we need more action.

wait just a sec - coyotes..... in MA????

I had problems with a groundhog getting thru the fence and put some of my dog's hair by the hole in the fence. I guess it is the same idea as the fox urine, but free and less stinky. The neighbor has an air pistol that seems to keep the squirrel population down, but not down enough. You can get them at Walmart without a permit.

My cats are indoor cats, but Tiffany, my Westie, checks for rodents in our walks, she got 9 voles so far this winter.

oh yes! people with livestock are worried. Some places south of Boston have had them attack pets tied out in their yard. I have seen them here & friends have lost cats to the west, probably here as well. Pet diffenately have to be brought in at night.

At least the coyotes won't bother your irises. Only kidding.

If they only caught the animals which do! When I get rodents chittering at me, I yell 'I'll call a hawk'. Have to google 'eastern coyote', I think they are smaller than the western, although someone who sees them often says one around here is really big.

A rabbit repellent I learned about from a farmer years ago has always worked for me... human urine. Yes... really!

I was desperate one spring after rabbits devastated the vegetable garden, or I probably wouldn't have tried it. BUT, it works!

I soon trained my 4-year-old son to run out to the garden when nature called. Between him and me, we had no more rabbit trouble. I've since recommended this to many other gardeners, and with rare exceptions, it saved the day.

For all the gentlemen gardeners, there is no mixing or special equipment involved. Discreteness is needed, but under cover of darkness you can apply as needed. For the lady gardeners, you can collect urine and then use it in the garden.

"Sprinkle" around individual plants. I also "mark my territory" all around the perimeter of the garden beds. There is little chance of over-applying, and be sure to re-apply after rains. In early spring, I make sure to pay particular "attention" to cabbage transplants. The same later in the spring with tomatoes. Haven't lost one to rabbits in over 20 years (and I live in the country).

Cheap, in unlimited supply, and easy to apply. It can't be beat for keeping rabbits away!

P.S. My son is now 24 years old, but always "checks out" the garden when he visits.

Can't say that I am interested in that one.

Just check the coyote bit. It seems that they are bigger than western one because of interbreeding with wolves. Says they eat rodents, including woodchucks. I don't see the activity of snacking on woodchucks around here. People who use invisible fence have to keep a eye out to protect their dogs. Deer are a bit big for a single one, except young. The 2 I know which were taken happened in deep snow. while they warn about leaving animals out at night, if you have adopted a stray cat, it is tough to keep them in at times, plus dogs out playing with children have been attacked south of Boston.

ah! so for rabbits, what I really need is my great aunt's chamberpot!

Isn't it heavy?

bonjon could always throw the chamberpot at the rabbits.

Reminds me of a guy I knew back in the 70s who had a problem with cockroaches in his apartment (he was a struggling artist and art teacher at my school). He read in Mother Earth News that the huge fruit of the Osage Orange trees repelled cockroaches. So, he put dozens on the floors all around his apartment. About a week later, he came in the teachers' lounge all excited that the home-remedy actually worked! When we gave him our congrats, he said, "Yup. I was sitting in a chair reading, and this huge roach boldly started across the room. So, I just threw one of the hedge apples and smashed the sucker!"

pretty tough to get rid of roaches when you live in an apartment.

Chamber pot throwing--new Olympic sport.

Free-Style event ?? Tag team ??

I use hunks of Irish Spring soap around all my beds, put it on in the spring once a year, I hunk about evry foot all the way around my beds, works like a charm. :)Anita

I Love it! Bunnies and Irish Spring... sounds like a match made in heaven... and also sounds like it works! And so much more pleasant than the other alternative...

Does any soap work, or is Irish spring special?

I have never tried any other soap, as I know the Irish Spring does the trick, I don't know if it is anything special & all soaps would do the same thing or not? I'm sticking to what works for me..:)Anita
P.S It also keeps the deer out of the beds too.

There is a new product from "St. Gabriel Organics" -- in a 24 oz bottle, labeled Deer Repellent, but they say are great for small animals as well, rabbits, gophers, etc. It uses cayenne pepper in a wax solution that sticks to the plants, will last through rain. Only $7.95 at their on-line store. I'm gonna order it. I have been using jalapeno pepper juice, but you have to redo it every time it rains or there is a heavy dew. I'll let you know if it works!

Sue - KY

Anita, you've got me curious. You say "one chunk" every foot or so. You mean one full bar? a small bar or a large bar? Because I just gotta try this and my bed is large enough this could easily go over $50 if it's the large bars.

Chunk, as in I have my DH cut the bars up for me, say cut a bar in thirds, then take each third & cut in to like 4-6 pieces I think, I will have to count how many he gets for me, but he takes 1 bar & chunks it up for me, I end up with like 16 or so from a bar, We buy it at the $1 store, get the 5 pack for $2.00, It takes about $20.00 worth to do all my beds, but it is well worth it, I also see a deacreas with snails:) A plus I am thinking, but we all do what we think is the best, I will NEVER do without my Irish Spring..:)Anita

all great information. I have a lot of bunny issues here, despite the dog and cat. Have actually been letting the weeds grow in the irises beds because that gives them more to eat, especially when it's clover. But, as y'all can guess, that's not good for the irises, either.

so now I'll weed, and irish spring up a bit.

The snow is starting to melt on my irises here and guess what! Most of them nibbled to the ground by the Easter bunny and his friends. When we go to town this weekend I am going to buy the Irish Spring soap and try it. I hope my irises will recover and still grow.

When the snow is down a bit more here I will get a pic of what I do with my beds.