Rabbit stew!?
Tragically, rabbits just ate some of my lettuce, cabbage, and other green leafy vegetables.
I saw a rabbit a while ago (its little white tail was cute, but it didn't fool me one bit!), and I haven't seen a single deer in our yard this Spring, so what else could this be? That's why these latest pictures from today aren't very impressive. Here are some rows of romaine and 4 seasons lettuce that were attacked:
And here are some close-ups of some other damage. Rabbits, right? They ate these greens, the lettuce, and a large part of the dill plant. I had onions and herbs planted because I read that they would be deterrents, but that didn't work, so I just put up a fence earlier today. Better late than never.
1st question: Is this fence sufficient to keep the rabbits out?
It's plastic netting attached to stakes with twist ties, and I don't have the whole fence buried in the ground because that would be a LOT of work, so it's not secure against the grass on the bottom. Technically, something could push its way in, but I don't know if rabbits would do that. It seems more likely they'd just move along if they encountered a wall, not try to push against it.
2nd question: I know the plants with absolutely no leaves left are goners, but will the half-eaten lettuce grow back? Lol. I think I'm going to plant more either way.
Do you have any other suggestions based on this info?
Thanks,
summersolstice
I recommend these landscape pins. I think they would hold down the plastic netting if you place them every 18" or so. You can find them at The Home Depot.
darn link!
landscape pins
Sounds like a good idea. Those look easy to stick in the ground. Digging in the grass and even getting larger stakes through it is pretty hard. Thanks for the picture.
I think getting some type of tent-like stakes might work to keep the netting closer to the ground. Essentially, the current wooden stakes are supporting the fence, and then the additional stakes would keep the rabbits from burrowing under the fence.
Yeah, I was thinking that. I have about 6 of these, but that's not enough to hold the whole thing down. Thanks!
That could be bird or rodent damage just as easily, in which case the fence or the clips won't help much. Try them and see if they work. If not, then net the crops for birds or stand out there with a shotgun for rodents (Caddyshack style). You also could try trapping rodents - do you know whether you have squirrels or rats around? If the dmaage is occurring in the daytime, it could be squirrels. At night, probably rats. Some people like the Scarecrow sprinkler head (Google it) if you have a hose nearby -- it scares off a number of invaders.
I think it's likely enough that we have rats running around at night. I haven't seen any squirrels so far. Since the fence has been up, the dill and some of the lettuce have grown back, so I think the fence is working, but will keep watching to make sure.
The sprinkler looks really useful. Thanks for the suggestions!
I would not recommend the Scarecrow. They are cheaply made for the price and will not last very long. Check out the Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion Activated Sprinkler instead.
Hmm, good to know.
Put a trap inside to catch any varmints that may penetrate your fencing. Up to you whether to release them miles away or cook them. If you don't want to trap them, I would also recommend one of those motion detector sprinklers. They work wonders.
I didn't even think of either of those things! Thanks.
Lol, I'd only eat them if they were killed or terribly injured by the trap. Maybe. Don't know if I want to deal with dead carcasses right now though.