That's strange, the rabbits I have in my yard won't eat my tulips once they have bloomed! They only seem to eat the green leafy stuff, and they really like crocus. I've been using Hot Pepper spray and it has worked wonders. I have seen a couple of red fox in my back yard so I hope they will help me control the bunny problem I have.

Julie,

I would be happier if they ate them they just bite them off right below the flower and leave them for me to find. They eat the leaves. Who knows maybe it is someone else, but I think it is the rabbits.

Since you are having luck with Hot Pepper spray maybe I should try that again. How do you mix yours?

Pauline

I use liquid fence and have only had one rabbit with a numb-nose that could ignore the stuff. Thing is, that buck rabbit was my bane last year and was the first to meet his demise getting greedy and trying to cross Larpenteur about a month back - thus, so far, my tulips are saved!

First one is opening this morning as a matter of fact :)

-Marie

Marie,

I don't know what liquid fence is will you tell me please?

Pauline

Unfortunatley I have been unable to find a mix for it and have resorted to purchasing it pre mixed at a greenhouse. It costs $13 and I have sprayed an area about 30-40 sq ft at least 6 times and i'm running low now. Becareful what you use alot of these things can be harmful if you have a cat, dog or kids so make sure you read the label.

Marie,
Aren't you the lucky one that someone else took care of your rabbit for you, I have to do the dirty work my self.LOL

Zenpotter, you can get it at Linder's or even online from various sources. It utilizes a nice garlic and rotten egg mix ewwww.... but when it's dry we can't smell it much, well - not much... worth it for the lack of buns.

-marie

I use straight chili and cayenne pepper from the dollar store. It is ground into a fine powder and I sprinkle it on the leaves and around the base of the plant and voilá; no more bunny rabbits using my spring bulbs as a salad bar. If I get ambitious, I mix it with water and spray it on.
If you get it out far enough from the plants, they get it on their feet and like a cat or dog, they try to lick it off. Therefore, they not only have hot lips (do rabbits have lips?) but hot feet, too!

It is time to go shoping, I will get the one I find first.Thanks

Pauline

Minnesota sue,
I hope they have lips!I've been waiting to see a bunny with it's tounge hanging out! LOL

Well instead of going to the store I went to the kitchen. I have an eight ounce containter of Thai Chilies. I ground some of those up and they are now out in the garden. I am also soaking some to make a spray. Hopefully that will do it.

For the life of me last year I couldn't keep the rabbits away from my tulips. This year they're blooming like mad. Not sure what happened. They do stay away if you spray some of the hot pepper stuff on them. It was the only way to keep them off my roses. Too bad none of my roses came back. :(

It's funny, last year we had rabbits all OVER the place! We could look out the window and see 5-6 at a time, sometimes, and not just babies either. This year, I haven't seen one for the past 6 weeks. They are around though, because I've had tulip leaves chewed on, and the other day they got half of the foliage off of the white bleeding heart that I put in last year. It's now got a nice little circld of fencing around it.

I tried the 'fox urine' spray last year and it worked pretty good, but I felt like I could smell it on myself (although no one else seemed to) for at least 3-4 showers after applying it.

Other then that, I've resorted to fencing the things they seem to like best. Last year they ate my columbines to the ground - those are all fenced now. Same goes for a big 2-year hollyhock, 1 of only 3 that I had planted last year. I fenced those babies off right away!

Of course, wild rabbits and I have NOT got along for years and YEARS now, and I doubt if that will ever change.

What was described as biting off the stem just below the flower sounds more like SQUIRRELS. I had the same problem, and not seeing it happen, I automatically blamed the rabbits. But, then, I saw the culprit in action. Yes, those cute squirrels, that everyone loves. In my opinion, they are rats with tails. There are way too many of them critters. I've had to put a fence around tulip beds to discourage the squirrels.

Kandota,

Well we have both rabbits and squirrels, maybe it is squirrels. So far this year we don't have as many of the rats with tails as we did in the past. Over the fall and winter we had a pest control company remove 9 of them who had taken up residence in our attic. I was sure that one day they would chew right through the wall and take over.

I don't have rabbits (knock on wood) but do have plenty of tuplips laying headless on my garden. The squirrels are guilty in my yard. Pepper wax spray stopped them (again, knock on wood).

I don't have any squirrels but do have rabbits. And my tulip leaves get nibbled every spring. Until I put a light dusting of Bloodmeal and Bonemeal around them. Then the wascally wittle wabbits tend to disappear for better smelling treats.

Steve