Kitchen Garden Forum

Perhaps it is just my lack of prevention but I have suffered far worst losses this season due to 'varmits' stealing my vegetables than in other years. Pigeons have devastated my newly emerging peas, rabbits have nibbled all the tops off my parsnips and to top it all foxes have killed lots of the hens.

I think attitudes have changed over recent years, I could always rely on the old boys to visit the allotments early in the mornings with guns to help keep the numbers under some control but the younger elements now taking over are not so keen on such direct and swift methods of persuation.

Barney

I too have lost more this season than ever before, have had to fence in allotment - boring.

We're not allowed fences and some people won't lock the main gate but our main problem this year has been pea weevils - I think because the peas are slow to get growing.

Talking with the council pest control men, I suggested that a judiciously placed sniper with an air rifle would be one answer to the rats on our allotments.
Such a sharp intake of breath there was!
"Yeah, if you want the site to be surrounded by a squad of police marksmen and a hovering helicopter." they said.
Oh - - -

Hi,

We have had the same problem this season and I think the problem is only going to get worse not better.

Rabbits are our biggest problem this year, I have ended up fencing my whole plot which has cost approx £100.00 but I am only going to do it once, and when you consider if you purchase a rotivator it costs considerably more and sits un-used for most of the year. My fencing will be there for a lot of years and is in use every day 365 days a year.

One of our members is trialling a product called GRAZER, which you spray onto the plants. He has now used it twice and the rabbits have a nibble of the leaves and do not like the taste so they do not eat any more.

On our site the little devils seem to have a fettish for brussle sprouts. They seem to go before anything else, even if the brussles are netted down. Onions, shallots, and runner beans also seem to tasty too. During the winter they even ate the bark on my cordon apple trees and now have starter on the leaves and buds.

regards Tracie

Our own plot is safely fenced against rabbits and everything is netted against birds, but the problem we have had this year are mice which have had a wonderful time eating the peas and broad beans off the plant and thereby biting though the stems. We have always lost a few but this year it's been worse than ever.

Pea and bean weevil have also been bad (I think the dry weather encourages them) and we have also already seen lots of large and small white butterflies on the brassicas. Unfortunately, although they are netted, the holes are not small enough to keep out the butterflies. So, we'll have to start picking caterpillars soon!

We've had rabbits for the first time in 25 years and squirrels are a complete nightmare. Pidgeons are rife. As are moles. The only pest we have been able to control is mice as our baited traps have seen them off.

Our dog and cat keep catching and my OH is regularly out there with his gun.

I think we need more help.