North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Doreen Howard" <doreenh@ticon.net>]

Ginda,
Everyone's conditions are different.  I lived last year in a subdivision
that had a forest preserve and manicured walking trails at the back of the
lots.  In Springfield, IL, there was and still is a law against shooting
rabbits and even trapping them for relocation.  Because they are protected,
live in a lush environment and have at least 3 litters a season, we were
overrun with rabbits.  They were as thick as fleas, and they ate anything
they could find, especially during the snowy months.  Your conditions sound
different.  So.....let your common sense and observations guide you.  Good
luck!
Doreen Howard

-----Original Message-----
From: ginda@concentric.net <ginda@concentric.net>
To: Doreen Howard <doreenh@ticon.net>
Date: Sunday, November 05, 2000 9:32 AM
Subject: Re: Rodent Damage [NAFEX]


>Thanks Doreen,
>
>Last year, the bunnies pretty much stuck to the fruiting buds of my
>blueberries, leaving the twigs and herbacious buds alone.  Because of
>this, I planned to only protect the older bushes, leaving the two I
>planted this summer unprotected.  I figure I don't have the self
>control to prevent the new plants from fruiting, but the bunnies can
>do it for me. . .
>
>Do you think this is very risky?  It might be relevant that there are
>a lot of wild blueberries in the woody patch between me and my
>backyard neighbor.  (This is suburbia.)  They don't fruit, because of
>competition for light and water with the oaks, but they appear
>healthy, and blossom in the spring.
>
>Ginda
>
>
>--- In nafex@egroups.com, "Doreen Howard" <doreenh@t...> wrote:
>> Ginda,
>> I had similar problems with rabbits eating the blueberries and
>rhubarb last
>> year.  I made little cages with chicken wire--diameter slightly
>larger that
>> the plant--and just set them around each plant.  I pinned the cages
>to the
>> ground with wire wickets I made--mostly so the cages wouldn't blow
>away in
>> the wind. That stopped the damage completely.  Other blueberries
>and
>a
>> juvenile lilac I forgot to cover were eaten to the ground within a
>couple of
>> weeks.  Those rabbits have voracious appetites.
>> Doreen Howard
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Ginda Fisher <ginda@c...>
>> To: nafex@egroups.com <nafex@egroups.com>
>> Date: Saturday, November 04, 2000 2:00 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nafex] Rodent Damage
>>
>>
>> >I was raking leaves this morning and noticed that rabbits have
>already
>> >started nibbling away the buds from my blueberry bushes.  I put a
>2'
>> >chicken wire fence around them this afternoon.  Do you think this
>will
>> >do the job?  I'm worried they will dug or push under the bottom of
>the
>> >fence, which is just attached to those metal poles--the kind you
>sink in
>> >with your foot on the "t", and that has holes and tabs stamped
>into
>the
>> >metal to attach fencing to.
>> >
>> >The fences is taller than the bushes, so if they get covered with
>snow,
>> >I expect the bushes will be okay.  They're also on the top of a
>slope,
>> >so they're unlikely to get covered with snow unless we get more
>snow
>> >than usual.
>> >
>> >Thanks,
>> >Ginda Fisher
>> >eastern MA, zone 6
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>
>