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Rabbits are eating our flora |
Where are foxes and coyotes when you need them? We do, sooner than later, before the rabbits destroy our green plants. Backyard hostas are quickly disappearing. Liriope in the front yard is under attack. Queen Anne's Lace was eaten in less than eight hours of planting. Jalape
ño seedlings had a tough time developing to fruit bearing plants, though now recovering but slowly.
Damn rabbits! Those fury, four-legged hoppers have invaded our yard in a well developed area of Cary. No matter where, rabbits like to graze on good quality grass and young plants, usually for long periods of time (until we run them away), mainly at dawn and dusk, according to the Royal Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. With all due respect to the RSPCA, these rabbits are trespassing and causing damage to our yard so watch out! Fortunately for the rabbits, I'm not fast enough to catch them. Cruelty would be a misdemeanor in relation to my course of action.
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Deer roam our neighborhood and enjoy the roses |
We also have deer in our neighborhood. From our bedroom window we saw four deer chowing down on our neighbor's front yard rose bushes, not 10 feet from the street. After a while these beautiful animals, with full stomachs, strolled through the cul-de-sac and disappeared behind someone else's home.
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Elmer Fudd |
Except for a major undertaking of capturing the rabbits and relocating them, which would not eliminate the rabbits, we must depend on nature to dispose of, as Elmer Fudd would say, the "wascawwy wabbits." He would also exclaim: "Kill the Wabbits! Kill the Wabbits!" According to the
Joy of Animals, rabbits are prey animals with a wide range of predators such as snakes, eagles, hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes, and raccoons. FYI: Mamma rabbits stay away from their new borns to distract the snakes, eagles, hawks, owls, foxes, raccoons, and coyotes so the babies will grow up to reproduce and send more off-spring into our yard to eat the hostas and liriope.
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Eagle eyes its prey before swooping for rabbit lunch |
A few weeks ago, a baby rabbit was hopping along in our front yard when an eagle, perched on our sidewalk lantern, took flight, swooped down, grabbed the small rabbit by the neck, and flew away to enjoy dinner. It was a majestic, beautiful thing!
Foxes prey on rabbits and other small livestock such as guinea pigs and chickens and will also eat various fruits but not garden veggies, according to the Humane Society; Coyotes enjoy (eat) rabbits, rodents, deer, insects, livestock and poultry as well as berries and watermelons, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
So we think our best solution to naturally rid us of the rabbits is with foxes and coyotes. Anyone have one or two to lend? To quote Elmer Fudd, "Shhh. Be vewy vewy quite. I'm hunting wabbits."
And I thought I had a problem with squirrels!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have a .22 but I live in the country.
ReplyDeleteWe had coyotes and black bear sighted last week in the next neighborhood, just West of NC-55. Whichever you'd prefer, I could set a trap.
ReplyDeleteJim, your story reminds me of playing golf in Las Vegas. One course has a lot of rabbits. It seems someone released their pet rabbits on this course and rabbits being rabbits reproduced. According to the staff the coyote population also grew and rattle snakes were also attracted. So players were cautioned not to hunt for balls in shrubs and not to drop food for passing coyotes. Just more hazards on the golf course.
ReplyDeleteWe have that problem at our home, and it is making us crazy. The problem is actually all over Cary. We’ve got plenty of hawks so don’t know why they aren’t working the rabbits. I think the hawks maybe going after easier prey such as small birds, squirrels & snakes. We are having limited success with a product called I Must Garden, an all natural product made of a spice blend. Comes in liquid or granular – a little pricey. Available at local garden centers like Campbell Rd. I don’t believe it’s available at big box stores. Have to re-apply after 4-5 rains. I’m very tempted to start shooting the little bas***ds, but of course it is illegal in the city limits. My neighbor has trapped a total of 1, and it was a baby.
ReplyDeleteGoogle a recent New Yorker article on rabbits. Help is on the way unfortunately in the form of a disease that could very well wipe out all rabbits.
ReplyDeleteI Googled "New Yorker Rabbit" and came up with an article headlined: "The Rabbit Outbreak". It's an extensive article that goes into great detail about the disease you reference. Poor guys! Hah! Elmer Fudd is probably behind the illness. If anyone wants to read the article, here's the link:
Deletehttps://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/07/06/the-rabbit-outbreak
Really enjoyed your article until I got to the part about watching the hawk swoop up a baby rabbit. Shame on you for rejoicing - ;) I'll just bring my rabbits over to your house...
ReplyDeleteActually it WAS an eagle!
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