I have posted this on the Maple forum also since these pests and I are somewhat species specific but I am having more problems this year with rabbits making a meal on my young grafted Japanese Maples than I have ever had before. They occasionally hit a Ginkgo or two also. I have a few brush piles that I need to burn and I feel that this would help a great deal. I have been putting mothballs around my blocks of trees and plan on putting human hair in the vicinity of these plants. Other options that I am considering are spraying a dog and/or cat repellent, old pepper sauce, and an air freshener called "Money House Blessing Gold Offering Spray". This freshener may be a tool of practitioners of Voodoo, it looks like some of that New Orleans type stuff. I put too much work into my trees to have this go on much more. Maybe a granulated carpet freshener will work in warding off these terrible rodents. Any suggestions from others will be appreciated.
There is no really effective rabbit repellant that I have heard of. I have friends in the interior of BC that have problems with the little blighters. The only thing that keeps them away is a terrier they own. Down here in the Vancouver area, we have more problems with racoons - if anyone has any Voodoo spells to de-coon a garden, let me know. I did capture a rabbit in my garden this summer, and was already going over recipes for Hassenpfeffer in my mind when the neighbour girl saw me and called out "Oh you found Mr. Wiggly" (it wasn't actually that name, but it was something equally silly). Not being able to come up with a spur of the moment excuse for eating her pet, I grudgingly allowed repatriation of the varmint. Next time might be different, though.......
Bill, you are fortunate living in an urban area where people's pets are not quite like the pets of our rural neighbours. They have a bull that has made its way into yard on half a dozen different occasions. I wonder how many pounds of rhodie leaves a bull would have to eat to succumb, hmmmmmm......can you say filet mignon?
Rather than spraying dog and/or cat repellent go to your local pet salon and ask for a bag of thier unwashed clippings of dog and cat hair spread these around the garden . if the problem still persists then you can make a mix of garlic and thyme. it works here on lettuce and other rabbit treats (1.23 hectares worth) also if you keep it fresh it works nicely for deer and moose. another alterintive is to plant a giveme garden on the permitter or as far as way as you can from your cash/hobby crops that are deer and rabbit candie
I know people who swear by pee actualy. The rabbits smelling the markings of what they consider a predator, will shy away from the area. Although like mothballs and other products left as smell deterant, it needs to be resplenished after rainfalls.
A bunny owner :) I am the owner of a house bunny, and I can tell you of several things that will keep the bunnies at bay. 1. Cat hair. Ask any friend who has a pet cat for all their furballs. Place them at the base of your tree, and the scent will send the bunnies running. 2. Tobasco sauce. Dilute it a bit and again spray near the base of your tree and even on the lower foot or two of the tree. Bunnies don't like spicy things! 3. If your problem is specifically rabbits, you can buy rabbit deterrent (meant for household bunnies) at your local pet shop or online (http://www.bunnybytes.com has a good one). Hope this helps!
Tried that but the neighbour lady got all agitated during the application process.......besides - you have to be a damned good shot to hit those bloody rabbits.
