Kitchen Garden Forum

Just wondering what people do about rabbits and other veg nibbling mammals.

I seriously can't be bothered netting everything because it makes weeding a pain - so got Grazers (http://www.grazers.co.uk). Seems to be working so far, the broadbeans are untouched.

Has anyone else tried it?

Where did you spray it on your plants or on the land?

On plants - it work systemically.

Trixie74 wrote:On plants - it work systemically.

So it goes into the plant.. and then into the eater... no thanks!

I googled this and opinions vary wildly also and the cost!

The only real defence against rabbits is a fence with the wire dug in at least 6 inches. Only needs doing once.

You need be careful with the height and composition of the fence. Rabbits can jump and climb so angle it back on the outside.

Colin Miles wrote:You need be careful with the height and composition of the fence. Rabbits can jump and climb so angle it back on the outside.

Mine worked fine all the years I had it with no angling... 2 inch chicken wire. And there were hordes of them in that place as no predators there.

I agree with Colin - I have seen one of our local rabbits climb a 3' high wire netting fence like a cat. We now have old wire netting hanging over the upright fence lengthways so that the rabbits stub their noses as they try to climb over it. Luckily, our local sharp shooters and buzzards seem to be making inroads into the bunny population and their numbers are greatly down from a few years ago.

Monika wrote:I agree with Colin - I have seen one of our local rabbits climb a 3' high wire netting fence like a cat. We now have old wire netting hanging over the upright fence lengthways so that the rabbits stub their noses as they try to climb over it. Luckily, our local sharp shooters and buzzards seem to be making inroads into the bunny population and their numbers are greatly down from a few years ago.

Clearly speak as you find and my fence was higher that 3 feet.

For this thread, the message is that this is still a one-off job and far more effective than any spray etc.

I guess you eat plenty of rabbit pie where you are; great food.

I used to have a hen that climbed netting like that in order to make her nest where SHE wanted...

My wife kept rescue rabbits for many years and perhaps one of the most striking things about them was how different their personalities and behaviour were. We had an avid digger - I don't think 6 ins would deter him - whilst another would daintily scratch the surface. We had an agoraphobic rabbit who, by the time we persuaded him to venture towards the end of the garden, got caught by a fox. Another was catlike in his climbing ability and if you've seen films of rabbits in Australia then you may understand the concern over fence height.

Colin Miles wrote:My wife kept rescue rabbits for many years and perhaps one of the most striking things about them was how different their personalities and behaviour were. We had an avid digger - I don't think 6 ins would deter him - whilst another would daintily scratch the surface. We had an agoraphobic rabbit who, by the time we persuaded him to venture towards the end of the garden, got caught by a fox. Another was catlike in his climbing ability and if you've seen films of rabbits in Australia then you may understand the concern over fence height.

Oh I know.. I was on an offshore island with no predators...They had a bounty out ; you got 60p for every tail you handed in. Before I had the fence etc, I once had lettuce in an improvised netting cage, picked one, went inside and looked through the window to see a rabbit nosing its way inside. I had a goat who was a houdini, hens and ducks, and peacocks who of course can fly.. so finally I put up a proper roofed fruit cage.. it was either cage all the critters or cage the garden..

The allotment already has wire which I believe is dug in - but the little beggers still get it. I'm just a bit lazy with netting everything, its such a bind to weed and I'm one of these numpties who seems to get tangled up in it myself.

We live in the Isle of Man - no foxes! Hubby also shoots so very accustom to bunnie pie! Got quite a few bird of prey which help but we are over run with bunnies and long tails.

Sticking with the Grazers and seing how it goes.

Shoot them. We had 25 years without them and have been invaded by them for the last 5 years or so. Resorted to trapping and shooting, as we have with our new predators - squirrels. I would be happy to have mice back.

Like I said above, our rabbit numbers have decreased drastically recently and I think yesterday I saw one reason: being on my own on the allotment and enjoying a quiet cuppa between jobs, I watched a stoat weaving in and out of a dry stone wall right next to our boundary. No doubt, if there is a pair, they will make inroads in the rabbit population!

They are so industrious they seem to get past every obstacle I put in their way, but they are too cute to kill :-/

Although our allotment is surrounded by uncultivated fields for at least 3 miles in 3 directions we do not have a problem with rabbit's we did have problems with pheasants ripping everything up but that seems to have gone our main problems are seeds from weeds blowing in and cabbage whites which come throughout the fence by the millions