Re: What to do about rabbit droppings?
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- Subject: Re: What to do about rabbit droppings?
- From: M* T*
- Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 04:20:46 -0500
From what I know, you're getting free fertilizer. Rabbit droppings are
supposed to be good fertilizer..and, I *think* they aren't hot so won't
burn plants (somebody who knows can confirm or deny). If you don't want to
distribute them in the border, add them to your compost.
As far as catching them, do please make certain that there aren't any nests
full of young if you insist on trapping the adults. Mother rabbits do not
stay in the nest with their young, they lurk nearby and only go to the nest
for quick feeds. Nests are not easy to see unless you practically trip
over them. The mother rabbit makes a shallow excavation and lines it with
her fur, has the babies in it and then covers the babies with her fur and
grass, leaves and whatnot. I don't know where you are, but chances are
good that the first lot of baby rabbits is already in the nest for this
year. Baby rabbits are virtually impossible to hand raise - even the
wildlife rehab people have trouble with them and removing the mother leaves
them to a rather horrible death by starvation or predation.
If you have one rabbit, you have more than one, and very likely more than
2. Rather than trapping, try cayenne pepper, Ropel, bloodmeal or some of
the other "organic" type deterrents - predator urine might also be an
option. If you have cats and dogs running loose in the garden, they will
soon convince the bunnies to move on. Rabbit netting (metal fencing) also
works, tho' it isn't too decorative.
The Wildlife Rehabilitation Directory lets you search for rehabbers by
state URL:
http://www.cc.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/devold/twrid/html/index.htm
If 'twere I, I'd call a rehabber first. Animal control units generally
dispose of what they catch. Releasing animals in other areas is not a
really good thing because the territory is generally taken already, leading
to starvation, fights and death.
Mother Nature abhors a vacuum. If a spot is suitable for a certain type of
wildlife, they will inhabit it. If they are removed and the conditions
remain suitable, more will move in. IMHO, our choices as gardeners and
stewards of our bit of ground are to either make our patch untenable for
the wild creatures who want to share it (thus losing the pleasure of
watching them) or work at outwitting them so that we get to keep the plants
we want and they get to live, too. Getting "rid" of is really not a long
term option as long as they are in the area.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
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> >We have a rabbit problem. Well, actually it's two rabbits. Not
> >withstanding the fact that we have to get rid of them soon and that
they've
> >already done a lot of damage, they've also left behind a lot of
droppings.
> >I'm not talking about a scattering here and there. I'm talking about
piles!
> >Mounds!
> >
> >In past I've just worked the odd dropping into the soil when I added new
> >soil or compost in the spring, but this year isn't on the same scale.
> >
> >What do you think? Should I work them in as usual or remove as much as
I
> >can? Is there something else I should do? All opinions are welcome.
> >
> >I'm also taking suggestions for catching these two before they... well,
you
> >know.
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