Roses & too many bunnies

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 05-25-2005, 12:58 PM

Seems the wild bunny population around our house has exploded in the last year or two and I can't grow anything anymore! One was having salad this morning while I had breakfast - in other words, he/she was nibbling the Hostas down to even more stumps than they already are. However, the Hostas I really don't care about, it's the roses that have me ticked off. Other people I know already have blooms on their roses. Mine are just sticks coming out of the ground. They can't get growing because as soon as a new branch bud forms the durn bunnies come and chew it off! I know it's the bunnies because Terry has seen them eating the roses - he doesn't have the heart to chase them off and then chides me for not having blooming roses!

So, anybody have any suggestions on how to get the bunnies to leave my roses alone? I've heard dried blood keeps them away and have tried that in the past without much success. I was thinking about going to home depot and getting some chicken wire to put around the roses so the bunnies can't get to them, but I'm not sure if the "association" will approve of our front yard with chicken wire all over it.

So, any and all ideas appreciated! I think I have some pics of them blooming last year so I'll try to remember to take a pic of my sticks this year and show you guys the contrast.

**Kfamr** · 05-25-2005, 01:01 PM

Move to Florida!

Our roses are going crazy. Yesterday I went and picked about 7 of them and have the in a vase on our table. They smell soooo great!

Sorry, no real advice.

**robinh** · 05-25-2005, 01:53 PM

My SO told me that if you put blood meal (it's a dried powder) around them, the bunnies will leave them alone. You should be able to get that at amy nursery or garden store.

**BitsyNaceyDog** · 05-25-2005, 02:02 PM

Too many bunnies?

I can't grow anything anyway, so I'd rather have the bunnies.
When I lived in upstate NY we used to put carrot tops and things of that nature out on our driveway and watch the little bunnies come and eat it. We had a corn field that surrounded our yard, so we had many, many bunnies.

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 05-25-2005, 02:05 PM

We actually put out cracked corn for the birds and I think the bunnies feast on that, which could explain the population explosion.

I enjoy seeing them out there - as do Peanut and CJ and Terry too - and like I say, I really don't care about any other flowers, I just want them to leave the roses alone.

Thanks Kay, how about instead of us moving to Florida we send you some of the bunnies?

**lv4dogs** · 05-25-2005, 02:16 PM

I have heard that mothballs will keep away most small animals, but they are also supposed to keep away cats so that may not be an option for you if your kitties go outside.
If you do decide to try it, I'd reccomend that you put the moth balls in a container (coffee can, whipped cream container etc..) and punch a bunch of holes in it, that way the smell (which is what deters them) gets out to keep them away, but no other animals can ingest the actual mothball which can be toxic.

**Kfamr** · 05-25-2005, 02:48 PM

Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom

Thanks Kay, how about instead of us moving to Florida we send you some of the bunnies?

They wouldn't last long in this yard!

**Barbara** · 05-25-2005, 03:29 PM

Maybe you should get a doggie

You don't have any mice, don't you

**Rachel** · 05-25-2005, 04:21 PM

We have lots of bunnies too. Seems like every year we have a horrid *incident* involving one of them, which can be very upsetting, so forget the dog solution.

**Karen** · 05-25-2005, 05:44 PM

Every spring, as soon as the first tulips appeared to get nibbled, the little white bunny-proofing fences goes up around all the gardens in my parents' yard. There's lots of fairly decorative fencing you can get that looks prettier and does just as good a job as chicken wire!

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 05-26-2005, 10:02 AM

I have now confirmed that it's the bunnies doing the damage. Last night when I got home I was super encouraged because one of the roses and a nice huge sprout on it! I watered them some more and said goodnight to them. Then this morning......yep, you guessed it....the sprout was gone, right down to the stalk so there wasn't even any evidence that it had been there.

Terry and I will be going to home depot this weekend to rig something up to fence them in - and I will also be trying the blood meal stuff again. All the decorative fencing sounds nice, but I really think the association would have a problem with that. We need to get something that is relatively invisible.

Do any of you remember me posting a few years ago about a nasty orange cat that kept coming around and pestering T & P through the windows? Well....those people have moved and took the cat with them. Also, we used to have a coyote around now and then that I think is gone because of all the new construction nearby. Thus we have no more bunny predators which results in a bunny population explosion. I hate the thought of the cute bunnies being killed....We have a small Hav-a-hart trap, do you think I could trap them and then take them to one of the nearby forest preserves?

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 05-26-2005, 10:05 AM

Oops, forgot to post the pics I took. They're not the best, but at least you'll be able to see the sad state they're in. Turns out I couldn't find a good pic of them blooming, but they were growing like mad last year and blooming profusely! Now all I want is one good sprout!

This is the one that had the nice sprout. It was coming off the right hand side of the uppermost stalk.

On this one you can see where somebody has been gnawing at the stalk. Didn't even wait for a sprout on this one.

This one is almost a goner....

**Suki Wingy** · 05-26-2005, 07:56 PM

OMG! I KNOW! I used to only see them at dusk, now they are always around, in every yard! (I live north suburbs)

**Kfamr** · 05-26-2005, 08:04 PM

Aww.. poor roses!!

Here's a part of one of our rose bushes. I sooo wanted to snip off the two large blooming ones but didn't want to chance the other 2 buds on the sides of them. We also have some yellow ones which are going crazy as well!
Gosh I LOVE the smell of roses.

**Freckles** · 05-26-2005, 08:34 PM

Kay, that looks like a hybrid tea rose. You should disbud (remove) those side buds when the main bud is the size of a pea. Just twist them off. Main bud will then grow even larger.