| OT - Hey Steve! Rabbit Q - CLICK HERE for the Pet Manual Forum Home Page |
| ZPL |
Steve as you are the resident rabbit expert, I have a question for you.
I have a rabbit problem. I think one or two live under the deck, and I know
they live under my neighbor's shed. This last spring, they helped
themselves to my sage and the few strawberries that came out of the new
plants. I would actually like to eat some strawberries next year.
(They have already dug up the gladiola bulbs that were getting ready to
winter in the flower beds.)
I know my carpentry skills are not great. Any type of chicken wire
enclosure that I erect for the garden will not hold real well through the
Sping winds or even a determined rabbit.
If I surround the raised bed with ferret litter box cleanings, do you think
that will help keep them out? Or how about unwashed ferret bedding - old
towels and stuff? What about one of those plastic owls that people put in
trees to keep birds away - if I find a low spot, can rabbits see it well
enough to get spooked?
I know - you say keep the ferrets in the garden.... Unfortunately mine are
house ferrets. They don't know about outside, and thus I do not have a door
rushing problem. Even if I put them out in a cage, I cannot leave them out
overnight and rarely do I see dawn, except when I am actually working.
I really don't want to have to live trap them and move them somewhere else.
(My dad is currently doing that with raccoons.) I just want to deter them
from a food source.
Thanks,
Laura
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| oldmolly |
"ZPL" <ZPL@cox.net> wrote in message
news:kLDfb.11072$Cp5.2061@news2.central.cox.net...
> Steve as you are the resident rabbit expert, I have a question for you.
>
> I have a rabbit problem. I think one or two live under the deck, and I
know
> they live under my neighbor's shed. This last spring, they helped
> themselves to my sage and the few strawberries that came out of the new
> plants. I would actually like to eat some strawberries next year.
> (They have already dug up the gladiola bulbs that were getting ready to
> winter in the flower beds.)
>
> I know my carpentry skills are not great. Any type of chicken wire
> enclosure that I erect for the garden will not hold real well through the
> Sping winds or even a determined rabbit.
>
> If I surround the raised bed with ferret litter box cleanings, do you
think
> that will help keep them out? Or how about unwashed ferret bedding - old
> towels and stuff? What about one of those plastic owls that people put in
> trees to keep birds away - if I find a low spot, can rabbits see it well
> enough to get spooked?
>
> I know - you say keep the ferrets in the garden.... Unfortunately mine
are
> house ferrets. They don't know about outside, and thus I do not have a
door
> rushing problem. Even if I put them out in a cage, I cannot leave them
out
> overnight and rarely do I see dawn, except when I am actually working.
>
> I really don't want to have to live trap them and move them somewhere
else.
> (My dad is currently doing that with raccoons.) I just want to deter them
> from a food source.
>
I think onew of the best ways to keep them away from your plants is to buy
a simple electric fence kit with rabbit netting. They don't cost much, work
of a couple of batteries, and simply do the job.
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| ZPL |
I'll look around, and see what I find, I did not even think that something
existed...Thanks!
"oldmolly" <oldmolly1@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:zNGfb.6822$QH3.4880@newsfep4-winn.server.ntli.net...
>
> "ZPL" <ZPL@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:kLDfb.11072$Cp5.2061@news2.central.cox.net...
> > Steve as you are the resident rabbit expert, I have a question for you.
> >
> > I have a rabbit problem. I think one or two live under the deck, and I
> know
> > they live under my neighbor's shed. This last spring, they helped
> > themselves to my sage and the few strawberries that came out of the new
> > plants. I would actually like to eat some strawberries next year.
> > (They have already dug up the gladiola bulbs that were getting ready to
> > winter in the flower beds.)
> >
> > I know my carpentry skills are not great. Any type of chicken wire
> > enclosure that I erect for the garden will not hold real well through
the
> > Sping winds or even a determined rabbit.
> >
> > If I surround the raised bed with ferret litter box cleanings, do you
> think
> > that will help keep them out? Or how about unwashed ferret bedding -
old
> > towels and stuff? What about one of those plastic owls that people put
in
> > trees to keep birds away - if I find a low spot, can rabbits see it well
> > enough to get spooked?
> >
> > I know - you say keep the ferrets in the garden.... Unfortunately mine
> are
> > house ferrets. They don't know about outside, and thus I do not have a
> door
> > rushing problem. Even if I put them out in a cage, I cannot leave them
> out
> > overnight and rarely do I see dawn, except when I am actually working.
> >
> > I really don't want to have to live trap them and move them somewhere
> else.
> > (My dad is currently doing that with raccoons.) I just want to deter
them
> > from a food source.
> >
> I think onew of the best ways to keep them away from your plants is to
buy
> a simple electric fence kit with rabbit netting. They don't cost much,
work
> of a couple of batteries, and simply do the job.
>
>
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| Princebilly1 |
When i say waste, i mean throw the ferret pooh and urine around the plants and
it will also help with fertilisation.
Not the towels or bedding as it will look a bugger and may attract insects and
the like
Steve
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| Princebilly1 |
Apart from what Moll says which works well, your suggestion of throwing the
ferret waste under the house will also help.
If you want to chicken wire or mesh around the underside, you must dig a slight
trench and bury about 10 inches of it underground.
I would personally make sure they are not living under there by letting the
ferrets have a good rumage. They will chase them out and obviously not run as
fast as the rabbits. They may also get a good meal out of the exercise.
If you let your ferrets have a weekly run and pooh under the house, you won`t
find many rabbits wanting to go under.
Hope this helps
(let me at the buggers )
Steve
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| ZPL |
OK, while I am pricing the electrified chicken wire (rabbit mesh?) I will
also start emptying the litter box stuff under the deck and at the garden.
(Since "we" are inside ferrets, I really don't have to worry as much about
what is actually in their waste.
As my dog is too big to get under the deck, I may also borrow a friend's
Feist (curred rat terrier used mostly for squirrels.) Penny will fit right
under that deck. The dang thing weighs about 15 pounds tops, and has treed
a bobcat...
I have several months to work on this, as we have not even had our first
freeze, yet.
Will let you know about the strawberries next year.
"Princebilly1" <princebilly1@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20031005121129.00233.00000226@mb-m27.aol.com...
> When i say waste, i mean throw the ferret pooh and urine around the plants
and
> it will also help with fertilisation.
>
> Not the towels or bedding as it will look a bugger and may attract insects
and
> the like
>
>
> Steve
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