rabbits

[Guest bc pete]

hi there , i was thinking of planting some big budXthai along a local river. it is on private property and is very inaccessable

to humans. i was going to use an old swans nest and use a crude wick system?

but there are rabbits all over the place, they tend to stay away from the bank where it is wet. the swans nest is high and dry in amongst a bunch of reeds and rushes. i have no experience with rabbits, or other british vermin that may enjoy munching my plants

has anyone had their patch raped by rabbits???

:peace:  bc pete

[Delta Bravo]

Steady on Petey    I keep HouseRabbits and they are NOT vermin!!! My two can`t stand the smell of the leaves, but being herbivores and not unlike locusts, they may be tempted if their regular food source is scarce. They mainly stick to fresh grass  and roots. And not all of them like carrots either. I wouldn`t risk it personaly mate, for you or the Rabbits.

[Bud Brother]

Hi Pete, Yep! they will eat your plants quicker than you can say "cwazy wabbit!"

On my first grow outside I lost all 15 plants overnight, most were just severd at the stem, chewed a bit and then left for dead   I even saw one bolt of into the undergrowth with a leaf in his mouth.

So from then on I have made a point of using chicken mesh cages around my plants, held in place by three wooden stakes. They don't need to be big, about 12 inch dia and 2ft high, if they are too short the Rabbit will just reach up using its front paws to lean on the cage then steatch up and take the tops off the plants! :0

Though saying all that, you might be ok on a swans nest! Sounds like Natural Hydroponics   Hope it works!

Good luck,

Bud Brother

[Guest bc pete]

i knew it they are pesky critters with long ears and are into vandalising herb

i have lost a lot of outdoor to deer, and had to watch out for black bear and cougars.

but no rabbits on the island!!. i am also situated at an estuary where there are great minerals etc. looks like i could construct a scrog type box/ chicken wire jobbie.

i want to jam a pipe or steel bar and puncture the nest. sink a thick rope down thru center into river.

instead of bucket, i was just going to fill the nest with soil/ perlite mix and plant , and cover with chicken wire . then leave it and let the nettles gaurd them until sept/oct

hope to beat the mould

anyhow thanks for confirming  "bunnies" aint that cute

:peace:  bc pete

[Arnold Layne]

The Swans will be more of a probelm, methinks. You'd be surprised what they eat/rip up.

Rabbits and Deer can be dealt with by a weekly spray of your plants with a LIGHT mix of Fairy liquid and water {1part FL to 20 water}. It also keeps Aphids off! Renew straight away after heavy rain.

Mind those swans. They can be very dangerous indeed, especially at this time of year....

[maryjane]

Not a good idea if the swans are going to nest.......

they use the same site year after year.......they pair for life...

another thing is minks, they destroy nests getting to eggs , now a swans egg is a bit much for a mink...untill its desperate......

the venue sounds good...........stay away from the swans....they have a not to nice side and are very protective of territory.

m.j

[Guest bc pete]

hey there . the swans are gone . they have moved on. i would not interfere with an active swans nest, i aint  that tight.

it is a nest from last year, and has clearly been discarded by the swans who were relocated to a new conservation park a few miles away. the swans have signets, so they obviously had different digs

just a plan, improvise,

thanks for the fairy liquid, does that get rid of fairies too :mad:

:peace: bc pete

[ukseedsupplies]

I know which I'd go for If I were a Rabbit!

Depending on the area deer can also be a problem. I'm not sure if it works for rabbits but certainly for deer you can use human hair to keep them away...