Your
YARD AND GARDEN

Keep out those wascally wabbits

David Robson

Rabbits and deer probably are the two biggest garden pests, and the hardest to control. State regulations involving trapping and shooting take precedent over your garden plants. However, if you talk to your conservation officer, you can work out control methods for rabbits after having these animals declared nuisances.

It seems the creatures will devour anything green and lush in their path, with the exception of dandelions, crabgrass and chickweed. Rabbits and deer aren't as picky as raccoons; they eat the plants any time.

There are more methods of protecting your garden from rabbits than deer.

The Border collie we had when I was growing up did a wonderful job of keeping the farmstead relatively free of rabbits. The current neighborhood cats now do a good job in the city.

Repellents may give you some sense of protection and good feelings, but their overall effectiveness isn't that high.

Rabbit and deer repellents usually contain Thiram. It does work, but breaks down quickly. Most directions list daily applications, and that can get monotonous.

Dried blood meal can be effective sprinkled around plants, but you'll have to replace it after a week or so, or after a heavy rain. Continual use of this natural fertilizer throughout the gardening season can cause some nutrients to become unbalanced resulting in less flowering and harvests.

Mothballs and crystals have some reputation as repellents, but research doesn't really show they're effective. The chemical is toxic and could be dangerous if swallowed.

Coyote and fox urine, purchased from hunter supply stores, have gained recent attention. These natural predators' scents have shown some positive results, though there are a couple downsides.

First, they smell. It's not one of those scents that only rabbits can smell. Others can smell it, such as your neighbors.

Second, like dried blood and mothballs, they'll break down with rain.

Third, even though the brain of a rabbit is about the size of a peach pit, there is at least a brain there. The rabbits will stay away from the plants for awhile, but eventually figure out that while the scent is there, the animal isn't. The plants then disappear.

The only sure protection is to fence in the plants.

Use a three-foot high or higher chicken wire fence with the bottom six inches buried and turned outward at a right angle. The rabbit ends up standing on what he's trying to burrow under, and his peach-pit size brain just can't figure that out.

The downside is that you may have to fence in a good part of your garden. You can always group plants together that the bunnies go after, thus reducing the amount of fence you need.

Deer are even harder to control. They'll jump right over the chicken wire fence. Most repellents don't seem to work. A lion might do the trick, but local ordinances may prohibit those felines.

Human hair placed around plants seems to do the trick. You need to cultivate a good relationship with a barber or hair salon. Hair could be placed in mesh bags, or old nylon panty hose, and hung around plants. Continually replace the hair as it does lose some of its smell.

A coworker in the Chicago area claims you can hang bars of Dial soap around your plants. I've heard that Irish Spring also works. At least the area will be clean.

There are some repellents such as Deer-Off on the market. They aren't magic compounds, though some work a little longer than others and you can get some good results. The cost may be prohibitive with the constant need to spray new growth and new plants.

Fencing is also possible. Three single wire strands are used. The first one is about two feet above ground, with the second one four feet above that (six feet above ground). The third is placed about four feet away from the other two and four feet above the ground. This triangular formation makes it difficult for deer to jump over. Use heavy gauge wire and place red flags on it to remind you where it is.

The Extension has a listing of plants that are "supposed" to be deer-proof. No guarantee. Let me know and I'll send you a copy.

David Robson is an Extention Educator, Horticulture, at the Springfield Extension Center, University of Illinois Extension. You can write to Robson in care of Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL 62708. Telephone: (217) 782-6515. E-Mail: robsond@mail.aces.uiuc.edu

18 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING JUNE 1999