Rabbits

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Smolenski7
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Rabbits

Post by Smolenski7 » June 12th, 2021, 5:41 pm

What do you guys use to keep rabbits out of your yards, or, at least at bay?

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Re: Rabbits

Post by MorpheusPA » June 14th, 2021, 2:29 pm

I kind of simply embrace them, but draw the line at rodents (and lagomorphs, which rabbits actually are) in the house. And the gardens, eating.

Liquid Fence will work, if reapplied after rainfall. You'll want a nice, scented soap in the shower afterwards. Add some Elmer's glue to it (1/4 oz/gal of spray to increase stick and hold it through lighter rainfalls, at least).

I make my own, formula below. Dirt cheap, light spray only necessary. 1 gal lasts about 4 sprays through my 2,000 square foot garden, including plants the rabbits won't eat (marigolds, etc.)

In 1 gallon sprayer (double or half for other sprayers):

1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce (increase if rabbits continue to feed, but this works fine for me)
1 tsp Elmer's glue (tastes horrible, helps it stick)
1/2 tsp dishwashing liquid (tastes horrible, helps it stick)

Fine spray on anything rabbits eat. Try to stay upwind from the spray, it can be a bit noxious, but you yourself will only smell slightly spicy after spraying. Non-toxic to humans, animals, birds, and most insects.

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Re: Rabbits

Post by northeastlawn » June 15th, 2021, 7:40 am

Thanks Morpheus, I learn something new about the yard everyday. Would this also work with squirrels?

There are a couple of flowers in our yard they constantly eat. I said their was probably noting we could do about it, the this post came along😃

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Re: Rabbits

Post by MorpheusPA » June 15th, 2021, 12:26 pm

It's worth a shot. I've never tried this to repel squirrels (I have several, but they don't eat any of my flowers), but I can't imagine they like the taste of any of this any better than most other mammals do.

Birds can't taste hot, so they're completely unaffected by my spray. Insects don't care either.

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Re: Rabbits

Post by andy10917 » June 15th, 2021, 1:22 pm

I have yet to find anything that deters squirrels.


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Re: Rabbits

Post by MorpheusPA » June 15th, 2021, 5:23 pm

Russians named Natasha and Boris were completely ineffective, but the squirrel did have help.

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Re: Rabbits

Post by Smolenski7 » May 22nd, 2022, 8:50 am

MorpheusPA wrote:
June 14th, 2021, 2:29 pm
In 1 gallon sprayer (double or half for other sprayers):

1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce (increase if rabbits continue to feed, but this works fine for me)
1 tsp Elmer's glue (tastes horrible, helps it stick)
1/2 tsp dishwashing liquid (tastes horrible, helps it stick)
Will the rabbits ever become accustomed to this after say a few years? It seems with other store bought products, they do, and that particular scent/taste needs to be changed.

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Re: Rabbits

Post by MorpheusPA » May 22nd, 2022, 10:46 am

They don't become accustomed that I've noticed. I've now used this for many years, and it still works as well as it did year one.

They'll tend to ignore it if they're starving--just like I'll eat cilantro and clams with ghost pepper if I'm starving--but that's true of anything.

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Re: Rabbits

Post by Smolenski7 » June 1st, 2022, 11:11 am

MorpheusPA wrote:
May 22nd, 2022, 10:46 am
They don't become accustomed that I've noticed. I've now used this for many years, and it still works as well as it did year one.

They'll tend to ignore it if they're starving--just like I'll eat cilantro and clams with ghost pepper if I'm starving--but that's true of anything.
Can I use a surfactant instead of the glue and soap? If so, how much surfactant per gallon. And, the surfactant I have is about 5-7+ years old. Does it go bad?

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Re: Rabbits

Post by MorpheusPA » June 1st, 2022, 11:17 am

I wouldn't see why not. Surfactants do age, but people have used hundred year old soap. It's still soap. Just very hard soap. Usually bad soap, because a hundred years ago, we did not make very good soap.

1/2 tsp per gallon, maximum, should be fine. 1 tsp if it's a very weak or watered-down surfactant.

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Re: Rabbits

Post by Smolenski7 » June 1st, 2022, 11:19 am

MorpheusPA wrote:
June 1st, 2022, 11:17 am
I wouldn't see why not. Surfactants do age, but people have used hundred year old soap. It's still soap. Just very hard soap. Usually bad soap, because a hundred years ago, we did not make very good soap.

1/2 tsp per gallon, maximum, should be fine. 1 tsp if it's a very weak or watered-down surfactant.
Thanks. I"ll spray it today.

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Re: Rabbits

Post by bpgreen » June 2nd, 2022, 1:46 am

Would this work to deter voles?

I bought a big jug of something that seems to keep them from digging up my lawn, but they still visit. Maybe I'll try this when I finish that off.

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Re: Rabbits

Post by MorpheusPA » June 2nd, 2022, 11:38 am

I haven't tried, but wouldn't think so. Voles are a subterranean meat.

For that, try the following:

1 gallon water
1-2 oz castor oil (Soaper's Choice has castor oil cheaper but you can get smaller amounts at the drug store in the baby laxative aisle; kept dark and room temperature, lifespan is 5+ years)
1 oz soap or surfactant

Spray in area where voles or moles are seen. You very rapidly won't see them there, but they'll move to where this isn't, so I'd suggest protecting your property with it and keeping the shield up.

Why it works: oil+surfactant+fur+cold dirt = hypothermia and disgusting flavor (castor tastes like crap to most creatures, humans being an exception), diarrhea, stomach cramps... I'd move, too.

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Re: Rabbits

Post by Smolenski7 » June 2nd, 2022, 8:21 pm

MorpheusPA wrote:
June 1st, 2022, 11:17 am
I wouldn't see why not. Surfactants do age, but people have used hundred year old soap. It's still soap. Just very hard soap. Usually bad soap, because a hundred years ago, we did not make very good soap.

1/2 tsp per gallon, maximum, should be fine. 1 tsp if it's a very weak or watered-down surfactant.
So I made up a batch and sprayed it aroundtheyard (get it?) and then it rained last night and again late this afternoon, so I'm going to make a new mixture. I made the first one with a surfactant, but then I just read your original post and saw that the glue and soap contribute to the "bad taste." I wonder if that is one of the reasons you've had such good success. I'm thinking I shouldn't mess with the secret sauce. What do you think?

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Re: Rabbits

Post by MorpheusPA » June 3rd, 2022, 5:37 am

I'd say try it. Surfactants also taste terrible, if you've ever gotten them in your mouth. However, if you can put white glue in, I'd do that too--it does help the stuff stick.

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Re: Rabbits

Post by edslawn » June 3rd, 2022, 9:48 pm

Shhhh... be vewry vewry quiet, I'm hunting rabbits.


Image

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufhHtjlM09E

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Re: Rabbits

Post by edslawn » July 5th, 2022, 9:09 am

MorpheusPA wrote:
June 2nd, 2022, 11:38 am
I haven't tried, but wouldn't think so. Voles are a subterranean meat.

For that, try the following:

1 gallon water
1-2 oz castor oil (Soaper's Choice has castor oil cheaper but you can get smaller amounts at the drug store in the baby laxative aisle; kept dark and room temperature, lifespan is 5+ years)
1 oz soap or surfactant

Spray in area where voles or moles are seen. You very rapidly won't see them there, but they'll move to where this isn't, so I'd suggest protecting your property with it and keeping the shield up.

Why it works: oil+surfactant+fur+cold dirt = hypothermia and disgusting flavor (castor tastes like crap to most creatures, humans being an exception), diarrhea, stomach cramps... I'd move, too.
Crap, just had a mole problem start in my front yard. Is this a sign of grubs?

Picking up the castor oil today!

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Re: Rabbits

Post by MorpheusPA » July 5th, 2022, 12:26 pm

Moles and voles will happily hunt grubs and insects and worms and anything else that lives underground or on the surface at night. They'll also simply move into any area where the soil is nice for them to build their tunnels, so really, it's apropos of nothing that they move in.

You won't have a large population without something for them to eat, but earthworms and most other insects are more than good enough for that. July is the wrong month for grubs anyway; grubs right now are beetles or crickets. In late August, they'll be grubs again.

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Re: Rabbits

Post by Smolenski7 » July 15th, 2022, 10:43 pm

So far so good. I've applied Morph's rabbit repellent 6 or 7 times since April/May and have really noticed a difference. I reapply after a good down poor or 2 weeks, which ever comes first. At this time last year most of my hostas were damaged. This year, although a few have been chewed, there is no major damage.

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Re: Rabbits

Post by MorpheusPA » July 16th, 2022, 4:23 am

Glad it works! If you're still seeing chewing, though, step up the Tabasco a little bit.

Generally, you can slow down or stop application around July Fourth. There aren't as many baby rabbits (who are particularly voracious) and the plants have grown in (rabbits don't like reaching up to eat). If I start seeing damage later in the season, I reapply, but I usually don't.

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