Caught, Red-Handed!
By Marie Anne
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
United States
May 30, 2008 11:58am CST
Ok, he was wearing his lucky rabbit's feet so I didn't really catch him.
(And I don't want to hurt him anyway)
If you follow my discussions at all, you know that I have some vegetables growing in containers, and that a very nice little baby bunny found my beans the other day, a few of the containers being the exact height for a bunny breakfast buffet, and five of my bean plans are no longer.
Well last night one of the pepper plants disappeared too, so they must be making chili.
My husband has a trailer and suggested we put my pots up on that, insisting that the rabbits wouldn't try to climb up there. I'm not so sure they won't try, but he said they wouldn't go to all that effort and get up off the ground.
I went out this morning to water and lo and behold, baby bunny trying to figure out a way to get onto that trailer before the breakfast dishes were cleared off. Here's a pic of him after he moved off a few paces to nibble at the grass/weeds growing out of the gravel in the driveway.
I bought a packet of lettuce seed that I'm going to spread out in an area that they frequent. Do you think they'll appreciate my giving them a bit more of a variety?
3 people like this
14 responses
@violetdreams (658)
•
30 May 08
LOL - you made me laugh. I am so identifying with you right now, only our wild bunnies haven't managed to get into my greenhouse just yet ... thankfully.
They have, however, started burrowing under our house!
Somehow I don't think they will appreciate it and will probably still attack your plants. Keep me posted.
violetdreams
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
30 May 08
I've a lot around my house but have yet to see any holes around my house or yard. Luckily.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
1 person likes this
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
30 May 08
Oh my goodness, under the HOUSE? Do you have potatoes in a root cellar or something? LOL ...
They are pests for sure, but they're darned cute. These little guys are growing so fast (they should be - after eating my beans!).
1 person likes this
@violetdreams (658)
•
30 May 08
We live on a farm (although we don't work it) in the UK Midlands and there is loads of wildlife around here. The rabbits come visiting all the time and are fun to watch.
There was also a family of foxes living in the leanto at the bottom of the field - not sure where they are now though (we chased them away because we were worried about our kids who are all small enough to be in danger of attack when she has babies around.
And then there are the free range chickens from next door who roam all over and lay eggs where ever they happen to drop - literally! Eggs have been found in the fields where the horses live!
As for the rabbit burrowing under the house, perhaps the started a new home there when the foxes took over their burrow from last year, in the hopes that they would be safe from the foxes if they lived closer to us. Bad planning, our cat likes the odd bunny every now and again!
Violetdreams
1 person likes this
@mamacathie (3928)
• United States
30 May 08
That is so cute. I love watching the rabbits hopping around here but I know it is aggravating when they get your food! That is so nice of you to plant the lettuce for them. They will surely appreciate it so much. I'm sure they will enjoy it and you will get to enjoy watching them eating and playing in that area. Have a blessed day!
2 people like this
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
30 May 08
That's what I'm hoping for!
I'd like to be able to post a month from now with photos of the cute little rabbit family sitting down for a picnic lunch, at my expense.
1 person likes this
@1grnthmb (2055)
• United States
30 May 08
That is just to cute. I lived in a place that had a lot of small cotton tail rabbits that would eat every thing I plated. I finally put my vegetable garden in a fenced in area with the fence being made of chicken wire that I buried the last six inches to discourage them from burrowing under. I also found that they did not like Marigolds so they left some of my flower garden alone.
1 person likes this
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
30 May 08
I have a small area alongside the house that has a few snap peas and beans in it, and I've erected a simple fence there, but even before that they didn't come up to the house and bother anything.
I am renting and don't have anywhere I can put this stuff and put fencing around it. I'm trying everything else I can think of, though ...
1 person likes this
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
30 May 08
I bought seeds for nice little compact plants, just for them. They'd better appreciate it!
1 person likes this
@nova1945 (1612)
• United States
30 May 08
My neighbor across the street has a whole family of them in his back yard and they come over here in the mornings to relax and eat whatever they can find. They are really cute. But I thought the does that used to visit my front yard in the early mornings were cute too, until they started eating all my roses. lol
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
30 May 08
We have a couple of families here, I think. I believe I know where two different families have their little haven.
Oh yes, the does/fawn are awesome too, but I hope they don't come up quite this close. The does travel right beside the driveway, in the woods just few feet off, and we've already seen one bring her brand new baby through.
I wonder if they like lettuce?
1 person likes this
@kenzie45230 (3560)
• United States
30 May 08
Awww. That's one cute bunny. Perhaps this is why I don't have a garden yet. :-) I remember when my sister and her hubby carefully planted a garden. It was a big one, so they even planted all kinds of melons. I think the only thing the animals didn't eat was the lettuce.
I know you're not alone with this problem. I was searching and discovered all kinds of suggestions for keeping bunnies from your plants.
Cayenne pepper sprinkled around the perimeter.
Daffodil bulbs planted around the perimeter.
Plastic snakes placed in the garden.
Another strange idea I found was to go to a hair salan and ask for hair clippings and sprinkle them around the perimeter. Supposedly the scent of humans will keep them away.
I don't know if any of these really work, but they all sound doable and not dangerous for the bunny.
1 person likes this
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
30 May 08
Most of this stuff wouldn't work for me. My plants are in pots that I move around, depending on where the sun is. Pepper and daffodil bulbs won't help, and my scent is all over that area, so that's not going to deter them either.
Next year I hope to be in my own place where I can have a proper garden in a large area that I can fence!
1 person likes this
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
31 May 08
woww..., that is really a very cute baby bunny... i think they will appreciate your lettuce and the bunny might bring its whole family to your garden next time once your lettuce grows... :-) take care and have a nice day...
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
31 May 08
Oh, there are loads of bunnies around here, for sure. I think the Mom's have left the little ones to fend for themselves now, though, as I see them in different areas.
The young ones tend to stick by my driveway (where my plants are) so they can get back to the little wooded area beside it quickly, where they're den is.
The adults tend to be all over the place between my back yard and the neighbors. We'll usually see two or three of them at a time, at least twice a day if not more.
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
30 May 08
They don't mess with my garden as Buster is out back too often. But they do frequent my flowers munching on them. Since planting Marigilds it seems that has worked. I run out chasing them away when I do happen to see them outside. I may also toss some type of vegataion out fro them in hopes to keep them from my flowers.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
1 person likes this
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
30 May 08
These guys are tenacious, to be sure. My cat is out there all night and off and on throughout the day, but the bunnies aren't bothered. If they see her they'll keep their distance, but it hasn't deterred them any. In fact, she did catch one last week.
There are loads of rabbits around here and it is fun watching them several times a day, but not when they're eating better than I am!
1 person likes this
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
13 Jun 08
Bunnies are abundent this season, I suppose. I guess it's baby
bunny season! What a cutie bunny you have there. Is he wild?
Where is his mommy? I hope she knows that this rascal is
"terrorizing" the locals with his cuteness. Be well.
Thanks for the super fun topic. It's nice to talk about
something fun for once. MyLot can be so depressing sometimes.
I like to talk about fun stuff!
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
13 Jun 08
Oh yes, they are definitely wild. We have at least two families of babies here, one in front and one in back. They are quite cute to watch.
I guess once they can eat what bunnies do, they are left to fend for themselves. I still see adult rabbits all over, but never see the larger ones actually with the babies.
I see the little guys in my driveway several times a day, and they come up to within 2-3 feet of the house. I've got more/better pictures of them now, so I'll have to start a new discussion about them.
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
13 Jun 08
There are two rabbit families that I know of for sure here, one in front and one in back. The little ones in front are always in the driveway, several times a day.
The plants weren't that big, and they were in pots low enough to the ground that the little guys were able to get to them easily enough. I've no doubt they munched all night.
@JudithP (295)
• Canada
31 May 08
I live in the bush in northern, Ontario and we have quite a few visitors to our garden, bunnies included. Last year I tried something new and low and behold it worked. I plant onions, chives, or garlic in amongst my vegetables and it has worked. Even keeps the deer out. Apparently they don't like to have bad breath. Another thing that works is scented marigolds and it also helps with insects. Most of us up here haven't been able to get our gardens in yet. We've had so much rain and nothing is ready. Well at least we don't have many forest fires this year. I'm hoping to have everything planted by June 15th.
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
31 May 08
I would love to do that, but since my little garden is in containers, I've got barely enough room for the vegetables themselves. I can't afford to waste the little 'real estate' that I have by putting in the other things.
I'm still looking for some taller buckets to put everything in and hope that will solve the problem entirely.
@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
31 May 08
Awww baby bunnies are so cute. I bet they would like the variety.
I do know they wont eat onions. My mom didn't know they were bad for bunnies and she had a cut one in some lettuce and gave it to our bunny and the poor bunny screamed just from the smell of it close. We've never offered him onion again. We found out later that apparently onions are poisonous to bunnies.
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
31 May 08
I know onions aren't good for dogs, but I didn't know they would hurt bunnies too. I wouldn't think they'd like things like onion and garlic, though, but then, I didn't think they'd like my pepper plant either, but that disappeared too.
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
30 May 08
I do put all my scraps out there, lettuce, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots - all of it, and it does disappear.
We all know that fresh from the garden is best, and I guess they do too!
1 person likes this
@sxrxnrr45601 (1171)
• United States
31 May 08
I think its great that you done that And a good ideal also! way to save the animal from straveing and to save your plants!
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
31 May 08
Well the lettuce won't be up for a while if it comes up at all, and I don't even know if it will work, but for the few pennies the pack of seeds cost me, I figured it was worth a try.
Of course I planted some lettuce for us (inside a fenced area!), not just bunny food!
