Allotments 4 All

Our whole site seems to be invaded by rabbits. Nothing seems to keep them out.

I'm not going to shoot them, snare them or infect them with that unspellable rabbit disease (myxomatosis) but what else could i do? Buy a couple of ferrets and let them loose? Or would that affect other wildlife?

Help please!

Im afraid that sometimes it goes with the territory. We have foxes on our site as weel as magpies and pidgeons. We have to put everything under wire mesh but to be honest I would rather do that than not be able to sit and watch the wildlife. This is just my opinion. I do however realize that everyone doesn't share my point of view.

They bite through wire mesh and burrow into cloches and greenhouses. It's scary stuff!

Quote from: grawrc on June 22, 2008, 18:41:56
Buy a couple of ferrets and let them loose?

I think you know the answer to this!

Hey but they're little fluffy bunnies! :'( :'(

Quote from: grawrc on June 22, 2008, 20:21:30
Hey but they're little fluffy bunnies! :'( :'(

That will devastate your allotment

You need to fence your allotment and bury the fencing well underground. Works some of the time!

The only good bunny is the one in the pie.

Rabbits numbers do seem to be up this year. In our area mixes seems to be on the downward part of the cycle.

If you dont want to exterminate them there's not much you can do really. Get a greyhound or lercher? they love em.

I'd just shoot them and eat them though, although the wild black ones up the road from us are just too nice..

I thought there was some silly law about things like that. But if the law is an ass, set the dogs on it.

Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on June 23, 2008, 18:25:29
I thought there was some silly law about things like that. But if the law is an ass, set the dogs on it.

mmm.. not sure, they are vermin - but i suppose its classed as hunting with dogs...

Don't know if it works

http://www.plantmenow.co.uk/acatalog/wild-animal-repellent.html?gcid=S19504x007-rabb_repe&keyword=rabbit%20deterrent&gclid=CJ760fOFjZQCFRlPEAod3hRGWg

You can get 50 metres of electric rabbit fencing for around £200.00 (including the energiser) but are the bunnies worth it? I'm afraid I'd make the pie.

Looks like the pies have it on this thread.  ;D

definately more rabbits our secretary has mesh fenced his plot and its usually frowned upon may consider myself

There used to be some stuff called Renardine which stinks of fox. 

What you do is spray this stuff on the boundaries of your allotment and they (the bunnies) think that there are foxes around and clear off.

It certainly smells disgusting and you have to put it on something like wood which absorbs it and hangs onto the smell for a few weeks before needing to re-apply.

I used it when I had a plot on a farm and we were surrounded by bunnies and it did work!  I got it from a "proper farmers shop" but wouldn't know where to get it nowadays (last time 10 years ago!)


Old Bird

;D

Having said all of that - here is the notice I found on the internet.

Shame that anything that does work gets banned!!

Legal Notice regarding the banning of Renardine:
Renardine was the only legally permitted chemical deterrent which was effective against badgers. As from the 24th March 2005, Renardine has been banned. Importantly, ALL the approvals for Renardine have now expired. This means that:
* Renardine can no longer be advertised for sale.

* Renardine can not be bought from any shop, wholesaler, mail order, agricultural supplies merchants, internet or by private sale.

* Renardine may no longer be supplied, sold, given away or swapped.

* Renardine may no longer by used.

* Renardine may no longer be stored (so any stocks you have must be disposed of).

RenCoco ( Renardine- impregnated cocoa shells) has also been banned.

For more information see the PSD's web site at

Allotment Lady, gardening hero of the blogging world had trouble with rabbits - maybe you can see her site to see how she dealt with them (by clever fencing mostly)
http://www.kooringa.com/
maybe if you google rabbits and kooringa.com you will see the pages directly?

Quote from: Mushy Pea on June 24, 2008, 13:38:39
Looks like the pies have it on this thread.  ;D

:D

Thanks for the comments!

I'm going to investigate the fencing options. My plot is already fenced in but I think the fence needs to be both higher and deeper as well as being stronger fencing to keep the little blighters out. My neighbour has been muttering about bringing his air rifle, so who knows, rabbit pie may yet be on the menu!