[AG-EQ] Get Rid of Pest Rabbits

[Jewel]

Or keep a Maine Coon cat.  It will not only get rid of the rabbits, or, at least,  discourage their 
raids, you will also have the company of a lovely pet!!!

            Jewel



-----------------------------------------------From: "dogwood farm via AG-EQ" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 11:24 PM
To: "Agricultural and Equestrean Division List" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "dogwood farm" <dogwoodfarm62 at gmail.com>
Subject: [AG-EQ] Get Rid of Pest Rabbits

Get Rid of Pest Rabbits
Written by Roger Harris

Although rabbits can be cute as pets or even hopping across an empty
field, undomesticated or wild rabbits can cause a lot of damage to
gardens and landscaping. Rabbits will feed on a range of plants from
young trees and broccoli to tree nuts, berries, and herbs—but you can
control and get rid of rabbits.

How Do You Know If Your Garden Has Rabbits?
Rabbits that are common in the United States range from the house
cat-sized jackrabbit to its smaller cousins, the cottontails and brush
rabbits, which are about 12 inches long. The jackrabbit tips the
scales at a hefty three to seven pounds, while cottontail and brush
rabbits weigh about two pounds. All have brown to gray fur with
varying tints.

Even if you don't see a rabbit, you can see evidence that it was
there, because rabbits leave behind coarse, circular fecal "pellets,"
which are about 1/2-inch in diameter.

Where and How Do They Live?
Jackrabbits are usually found in open or semi-open areas of valleys
and foothills, golf courses, parks, and airports, unlike the
story-tale "Brer Rabbit." During the day, they hide in depressions in
the soil or beneath bushes. Brush and cottontail rabbits will also
take harborage in dense vegetation, within and under rock piles, and
in abandoned structures—usually within a few feet of their cover.

A female rabbit may birth up to three young in five to six litters
each year. When baby jackrabbits are born, they are ready to go—fully
furred with their eyes open. Newly born cottontails, however, are
nearly furless, born with their eyes closed and must remain with their
mothers for several weeks to develop.

What Do They Eat?
Rabbits prefer to feed on tender young vegetation, but they will also
eat seeds, bark, and nuts during their nighttime feeding cycles.
Sometimes their feeding is confused with that of deer. But you can
tell the difference because twigs and flower heads are clipped neatly
by the rabbit's incisors, no more than two feet from the ground. Deer,
on the other hand, have no upper front teeth and must twist woody
stems, leaving a ragged cut on the plant.

How Can You Control Them in the Least-Toxic Way?
Fencing. Erect a 48-inch-tall wire-mesh fence, burying the bottom at
least six inches below ground. Bend a few inches of the fence bottom
out to deter rabbits from digging under it. Mesh size should be no
larger than one inch to exclude young rabbits. Install tight-fitting
gates with sills to keep rabbits from digging and keep the gates
closed as much as possible, day and night.

Tree Wrap. If individual plants are easier to safeguard than an entire
area, place chicken wire cylinders around the trunks of young trees,
shrubs, or vines with the bottoms buried far enough away from the
trunk so the rabbits cannot nibble through the mesh.

Cleanup. Remove brambles, piles of brush, stones, or other debris
along fence rows and ditches to minimize hiding places for cottontail
and brush rabbits. However, removing the cover will have little effect
on jackrabbits because they can use the cover that is often great
distances from their feeding sites.

Rabbit Disco. Noisemakers, flashing lights, and ultrasonic repellers
are generally not effective. But a feisty pet dog​ left loose within
the area to be protected may be worth his weight in doggie chunks.

Repellents. Rabbit repellents work best during the early years before
woody plants bear fruit or during the winter season. However, with a
few exceptions, most repellents cannot be used on plants or plant
parts that will be eaten by humans.

Trapping. Live trapping of rabbits is not recommended because rabbits
can carry diseases which may be transmittable to the trapper.

Susan
dogwoodfarm62 at gmail.com

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