Saasher - help needed - cuniculus/lepus invasion

[rainydaywoman11]

Dear Saasher, The bloomin' things are now gambolling on my lawn!  

I have been watching them and think they have made a home (burrow) beneath a huuuuuge conifer/tree we have in the garden (say 40'high x 20'dia).  They are no longer coming from the adjoining field, but always from there.  Could I be right?

Well today, I found they had been eating my geraniums (perennnial cranesbill) of which I have many varieties.  I can't have this, my garden is all I have left, I can't, in no particular order, jog, run, swim (well, a little bit and very slowly), workout, salsa - nowt.  My garden is my solace.

Do I phone the pest control guy?  I can't shoot a rabbit or anything else.  

I have seen only, so far, what I think is a doe and 2 kits.  Oh Lord.  Would really appreciate your advice.

From the road

   I built this from nothing.  Help!

[saasher2012]

The little boogers, do you know anyone who uses ferrets , if you can find where the burrow is that might be your best option,
Do pest control deal with rabbits?
Could they be living under the wall?

[saasher2012]

You can also get live catch traps but I don't know if they are very successful , it's a dilemma really , you have to be very careful if you use a firearm so close to other houses, I think your best bet is a good ferreting man with nets.

[millielilac]

There are some natural ways to deter rabbits in the garden....look on google ....might be worth trying some of them....

[rainydaywoman11]

I have tried natural alternatives millie, but the back garden (where they are present) is huge.  I've tried egg shells. black pepper and have even sprayed my plants with some chilli and water recipe I found online - the rabbit ate one of them!  

We are rural here - none of the gardens ae fenced fully, many, like us, have a mixture of fencing and hedging - so we cannot put chicken wire on the boundary - pointless unless we do the whole thing and it is too big a job.

I have one neighbour saving her kitty litter - will try that on the boundary.

Saasher - we have a pest control guy who comes couple times a year to check the rat poison boxes on the boundaries, I'll get OH to call him tomorrow and see what he has to say.

There is a lot of land/field reclamation going on to provide parking for the Ryder Cup and I think it is this that has upset the natural balance of the wildlife.

If I still had my little dog, we'd have nooooooooo rabbits. lol.  Thanks guys.

[rainydaywoman11]

Sorry Saasher, meant to say, we have no wall.  They are in and out of that conifer like yo-yos.

[cookiecookuk]

Hi rainy do you have a friend that has a dog you could borrow for a few weeks to see if that helps.

[ed_blackadder_1]

Rainy you can borrow mine, she is always after rabbits and she is quick, shame we are so far away, can't help you otherwise, we had trouble with rats back along also living in the country but they don't come in here now the garden is dog proof and she has a free run.

[saasher2012]

Actually Rainy that's not a bad idea from CG & Ed, if you could just bear it for the dog not only to get the rabbits but to pee & such on the area that might just scare the bunnies to go to a another home, in fact it might just be because you are a cat& dog free area that they chose you in the first place.

[stan3502]

I can pop up for the weekend if you want ............................. I have an air rifle and if I do say so myself I'm quite a good shot ;-

[ed_blackadder_1]

OH has a shotgun but I said that was overkill.

[stan3502]

We also have a shot gun (and yes before anyone asks we do both have licences, belong to a club and have it locked away) but agree its a bit too much for garden bunny patrol

[saasher2012]

lol. Yep plays havoc with yer fillings, mind you if you play your cards right there a fair chance you can get all three in one, but it does tend to make a bit of a mess!

[ed_blackadder_1]

OH has licence too and also locked away, us country folk eh!

[saasher2012]

Yep we are strange & gory. lol.

[captainbovine]

we don't have a shotgun, but we haven't had any trouble yet with bunnies, but we've noticed one in the driveway early in the morning on our way out to work!! it can't get around the back into the garden unless it can get over a 6ft garden gate!!!

we found a mouse drowned in the water OH had his brush in as he's painting the fences...I think a cat may have put it in there.

one side of you says oooh poor bunny but they are a nuisance. Thats part of living in the country....getting the balance right!!

[chickengrandma-2008]

Hubby's got a 12 bore and a 410 (and a licence and a locked gun cabinet) He can't hit a barn door!!  

[stan3502]

Haaa reckon C/Grandpa an Mr S must have the same man to set heir sights .........either that or the same off track target

[twishy123]

I've got a water pistol....

[stan3502]

Yeah that's cos ya lives in a fish bowl .......................duhhhhhhhhhhhhhh