How to deal with rabbits on our allotment?

[Colin_M]

I did a quick search and looking at this, I think you'll tell me that fencing is the only answer:
viewtopic.php?t=1102&highlight=rabbits

However I don't know how long it will take our allotment committee to agree & fence the entire plot. In addition, I only have half a plot, so putting fencing round the outside of it will lose me quite a big proportion & make cultivation a challenge.

Can anyone suggest some coping strategies in the meantime? I'm looking to put plastic netting "tunnels" over my brassicas. However I think my fennel's getting chomped too & will be harder to protect.

In the absence of any ideas, I may end up planting juicy stuff on my neighbours' plots to divert the problem!

Colin

[Johnboy]

Hi Colin,
You have an early start this morning!
I think you know what I will recommend and that is of exclusion. Having said that you can try simply putting wire down to the soil pegging the bottom to the soil as a method of trying to exclude them but if they are determined they will simply burrow beneath it. If there is a unprotected crop nearby they will go for that as an easy picking and not bother you is the hope.
Rabbit netting is an expensive pastime and your committee may well jibe at the cost.
Netting to the ground means that at least you are able to move it about at will if needed.
I will answer your PM shortly.
Hay making in progress! Not so lush as last year though.
JB.

[Geoff]

If it comes down to wire purchase I bought chicken wire from this company recently - the service was excellent, the product is good and I thought the prices keen.

http://www.meshdirect.co.uk/

[Colin_M]

Thanks chaps (yes JB, I couldn't sleep, but see I only just beat you to getting up!).

I'll go & survey the wreckage again today. The thing is, initially it was just one, but we've seen 3 now, so I don't think the problem is going to go away.


Colin

[KMARKSnr]

The farm close by had,and still has trouble with rabbits eating crops,but by laying snares on a regular basis the population of rabbits is now controlled,and the damage,and costs,are greatly reduced.
The farmers son checks these snares at least three times a day,and they eat all the rabbits,nothing wasted.

Regards,
Mark.

[Monika]

We had to double fence our allotment against rabbits when we first took it on about 20 years ago and it's still in good nick, so although it's an expense to start, it's certainly worth it. If you buy chicken wire mesh, make sure it's small mesh because baby rabbits get through quite small holes, then feed themselves up in your allotment and can't get out through the holes again!
We also had to hang wire netting across the top so that when rabbits climb up the outside, they stub their faces on the wire at the top and fall down again, we hope. And we have not had any bunnies in for the last few years although they are still in fields around us.

[Colin]

Hi Colin,
I have recently had this problem and I too thought plastic mesh tunnel was the answer. When they chewed through it and ate 3 of my cauliflowers I changed my mind!
Since putting up chicken wire fencing there have been no more problems. Other plot holders on the site have used various fencing materials such as 'road works' barriers, advertising banners etc to good effect so all we need now is a fence to keep out birds, snails, slugs, vandals, and all the other pests!

Regards, Colin.

[Colin_M]

So far, I have made hoops out of stout wire and stretched plastic netting over it.

Sounds like this might not be strong enough if we get rabbits like the other Colin. However it's also useful to have something that (maybe) keeps the butterflies off.

My neighbour has made tunnels of chicken wire, which is probably easier to put down. However the mesh isn't as small as my plastic. Probably better against the rabbits but not as good against the butterflies.

Colin

[Dopolous]

Shoot them!!

[alan refail]

Shoot them!!

and eat them

[Johnboy]

Hi Alan,
By all means shoot and eat them, very good eating, but best not shot on the allotment or in a garden where it may not be legal. A shot gun is likely to give you "instant flea beetle" affect if incorrectly aimed or even worse do a Jasper Carrot and pepper all your fruit trees.
I have a person that keeps down Pigeons and Rabbits on my place and we go halves on the bag and he presented me two Pigeons and nine Rabbits last week and I noticed at least another twenty Rabbits yesterday morning so he is in again this weekend.
Yum!
JB.

[alan refail]

Johnboy

Plenty of good ideas for eating rabbit:-

viewtopic.php?t=3795

Yum, yum

Alan

[Monika]

This "shoot 'em" business might sound a good idea but we have tried that in the past and once one shot rings out (and you may or may not have hit one), all the other bunnies are off "like a shot". So you wait another 20 minutes until they dare to pop out of their holes again and start again. So, if you have dozens of rabbits surrounding the allotment, shooting is a waste of time and shot. Not that I know how to use a gun, but that's the opinion of our local shotgun licence holders who have tried it all before.

[Colin_M]

I'd hoped that putting netting round my cabbages would not only protect them against rabbits, but maybe also against snails & butterflys.

This guy had other ideas and crawled up the outside:


My fault for not allowing for the plants growing

To add insult to injury, I later saw a Cabbage White butterfly cruising up and down the netting. Though all the leaves were inside, it eventually poked it's bum through the net and laid a couple of eggs on the leaves inside.

Damn clever these creatures. At least, more clever and creative than me!

Colin