Fast_Blue_Scooby

Over the last few weeks, wild rabbits are entering my garden and having a good go at destroying all my plants/shrubs etc. The garden is open and cannot be closed in so no gates/fences etc are allowed!

I did some research on the web and undertook the following:

(1) Dried blood - supposed to keep them away for the area it is applied.
(2) Human hair - scattered some of this around after a haircut.
(3) Put a strong pepper powder on the plants.

Well all I can say is that the wild rabbits near me are now wearing hair pieces, have turned into vampires and like the occasional hot curry!!!!

Does anyone else know anything else apart from shooting the buggers!!!

My last resort is to try and catch them, then drive a long way into the country and dump them off there. Hoping that they won't make their own way back home!!!

Any ideas?

Luke

make them wear british army uniforms ..... Job done.
























The Americans will do the rest. Might damage your house a bit..

SPelham

Put plants in your Garden that Rabbits don't like !!
Shrubs such as Berberis have spines all the way up the stems, and will give them a nice suprise when they try to have a munch !

basal_lobe

We have a shotgun for pest control- its fairly easy to get a licence as long as you are not a criminal. I'm afraid these little pests keep breeding unless you take some action.

ProperCharlie

I will arrange to have them *painlessly* (ish) gassed, for a fee. it's a lot more effective then sitting about half the night with a shotgun.

Charlie.

Nick VR4

With the human hair use old stockings/tights and pin to ground
Saw this on TV last week can't remember on what

beemerboy

get one of the high-pitched vermin controlling things....
that should do the trick, until the super rabbits start breeding deaf bunnywunnies that is!!!

BB

Mice_Elf

Can lend you my cats if you like.... Best bunch of bunny-killers I know...

CarpetCleaner

kill a load and leave the dead bodies around the place, alernatively do a deal with the local curry house, could be a nice little earner

Say £1.50 a rabbit

Mice_Elf

There is no real solution, unfortunately...

Planting plants they don't like would help.
Importing a fox to come and live in your garden would help.
Humanely gassing them would help...

But none are a permanent solution...

basal_lobe

leaving the corpses strewn around seems to put them off-

Its worth a night of discomfort for an excuse to get the gun out and start shooting things!

Alas

Can't believe no-one has suggested it.
Hunting Horses
Alas

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Dont leave the corpses around, my in laws do that (live on a farm) and our bloody stupid dog eats dead Rabbits that have been fizzing
away in the sun for days, and muggins here has to clean up the aftermath of sun dried Rabbit et Maggots.

Looneytunes

If you want some hedging the only things I can suggest is Hawthorn/Quickthorn - (Crataegus monogyna). Sea Buckthorn - (Hippophae), Blackthorn- (Prunus spinosa), Purging Buckthorn - (Rhamnus catharticus), Alder Buckthorn - (Rhamnus frangula), (Rosa arvensis) - field rose, (Rosa canina) - Dog Rose, Rosa moyesii, Pimpinellifolia - (Spinosissima Rose), (Rosa rubiginosa) - Sweet Briar, (Rosa rubrifolia), Rosa rugosa(Rhamanas Rose) these all have thorns on them and will not get damaged by the little sweeties, but remember when you come to planting them you must have hedging guards round them, when they are first planted till they about 3 to 4 years old but they usually keep on all the time, oh planting times Oct- to March so you've just missed out but don't worry it's the only time when they can lift the whips when it is colder. All the whips get lifted afer the first or second frost at that time of year, it won't be long now...... hope you find this ok for you if you need any more help I don't mind you mailing me it's my job anyway I'm used to it..... cheers

Scooby Dooby Blue

But not nearly as much fun.
Better than a shotgun is a pistol...you can run around the garden, jumping things and rolling dramatically in a 007 stylee before busting a cap in their fluffy little *****

Paul

philc

....agree with Alas - hunting horses is the solution (and it's a natural, eco-friendly way of dealing with the problem).

basal_lobe

How does hunting horses deal with the rabbit problem????

Plus a horse corpse is one heavy thing to move. Still should make an easier target for my shotgun. Pip pip.

ProperCharlie

basal, i think the way it works is you take out the horse when he's standing over some rabbits, the horse drops dead and crushes the bunnies...

basal_lobe

lol@proper charlie- how do you get the b*****d bunnies to line up though?

ProperCharlie

maybe you're supposed to tie them together like a chain-gang?

Alas

No way m8. If you get a ferret the hunting horses will be round straight away. Ferrets & weasels are their enemies.
Alas

PS In case you think I'm mental you have to have read the thread about this about a year ago. It was a classic.

philc

ok, well as hunting horses doesn't excite you, here's what we did regularly on a farm in Derbyshire years ago.

At the side of the entrance to the rabbit tunnel secure a stake in the ground. Attach to the stake a piece of bendable wire (doesn't have to be all that thick) - make a loop out of the wire, with the loop bit able to slide and therefore make the loop smaller if anything gets caught in it.

The loop should go round the circumference of the rabbit hole, such that when the rabbit exits the hole, its head fits thru the loop, but its body doesn't.

You should find your rabbit in the morning with a wire noose round its neck - usually still alive.

Do with it what you will - we used to eat them (rabbit stew).

However, I still think hunting horses is more humane.

regards



.... typos removed

[Edited by philc - 4/14/2003 12:17:29 AM]

stephen emery

My beagle has got rid of the lot.
steve

Reffro

You'll need to sit out at night with a rifle with a torch attached under the barrel to see the whites of their eyes as you pop a bullet through their forehead.Or you could use one or both of my cats, they love rabbits.........

[Edited by Reffro - 4/8/2003 1:52:57 PM]

bros2

[Edited by bros2 - 7/3/2003 10:15:02 AM]

Fast_Blue_Scooby

Thanks for the advice.
Well I have covered most of the shrubs with some wire mesh and that has kept them from nibbling the stems. However woke up this morning and they have built a burrow under my bloody rockery!!! A greaty big tunnel of holes right underneath all my hardwork!!
There are 3 rabbits now quite happily popping in and out of their newly built home.
Just had a thought, I think I may buy or borrow a ferret. That should do the trick!!!

[Edited by Fast_Blue_Scooby - 4/10/2003 8:00:45 AM]