??

[Dav4]

And this happened on a bench!!
I hate rabbits!!!

 

[Cadillactaste]

Dang...sorry to see that Dave. You need to go Elmer Fudd on them!

 

[coachspinks]

What happened? Who did that?

 

[coh]

Dave, you are having a tough run down there lately! Sorry to see this. Are you sure it was rabbits and not squirrels or some other varmint?

 

[quietobserver]

A couple of heavyweight outdoor Tomcats from the humane society will solve that problem for you.

 

[Dav4]

I’m pretty sure it’s a rabbit. About a year ago, I had the invisible fence company surround my bonsai benches and my growing area to keep my dogs from wreaking havoc there. That’s worked great, but I fear one particularly large rabbit has figured out that my dogs can’t get in there and he is wreaking havoc now. I’ve seen him eating my Japanese Blackpine seedlings once... They were actually on the ground, along with a few more mature trees that he pruned for me . The bench that these two-year-old seedlings were placed on is about 24 inches off the ground on the backside… Don’t forget that these benches are on a very steep hill. I placed a bunch of potted plants behind the bench to overwinter there , And that affectively lowered the height of the bench to maybe 14-16 inches in spots. Did I mention that this is a very big rabbit. Out of all the Japanese Blackpine cuttings I made this past year, I have Less than half remaining because of him.… I like that idea of going Elmer fudd on his ass but my HOA wouldn’t be happy. Haven’t seen a squirrel in my backyard and six months, either.

 

[coh]

Could try trapping him and relocating, but I don't know how easy they are to catch. Tried to trap one in my grow bed a few years ago but never succeeded.

I had rabbit damage one winter on some trees in the growing bed, but the damage was way off the ground - 2 or 3 feet. Eventually I realized that was because the
snow that winter had effectively raised the ground height by about 2 feet (slow on the uptake sometimes ). But I've seen surprisingly high damage even when there
was no snow - big rabbits here too and I guess they get up on their hind legs and munch away.

 

[just.wing.it]

Grab a 6 pack and a cooler, air rifle, pellets (or BBs), set up camp and wait for the perpetrator(s)....then unleash holy hell.

I did this to a Chimpmunk that was terrorizing my trees this year....
Only took one full magazine (60) of 4mm steel BBs (from my fully automatic CO2 powered BB rifle) to either nail it, or scare it enough that I didnt see it again all year.

 

[Dav4]

The only animal I’ve ever shot with malice in my heart was a groundhog that was laying waste to my tomato crop one summer many years ago… 10 pumps on my air rifle, a stealthy approach through my three season porch that overlooked the backyard and a 20 yard shot that nailed him right between the eyes… Problem solved . Unfortunately that air rifle rusted out in my garage after the move down here to Georgia… I’ll ask around the neighbors and see if anybody has one to loan me ... I like my bonsai trees even more than I like my homegrown garden tomatoes ?

 

[just.wing.it]

The only animal I’ve ever shot with malice in my heart was a groundhog that was laying waste to my tomato crop one summer many years ago… 10 pumps on my air rifle, he stealthy approach through my three season porch and a 20 yard shot that mailed them right between the eyes… Problem solved . Unfortunately that air rifle rusted out in my garage after the move down here to Georgia… I’ll ask around the neighbors and see if anybody has one to loan me ... I like my bonsai trees even more than I like my homegrown garden tomatoes ?

My sentiments exactly.
Things change when my trees are involved....
Priorities....

 

[coachspinks]

I'm sorry to hear that Brian. Have you had any issues with deer?

 

[Dav4]

I'm sorry to hear that Brian. Have you had any issues with deer?

Deer will prune back some Ume I have growing out in the front yard landscape, but my back yard is fenced in so they usually stay out... and you call me Dave.

 

[coachspinks]

I have no idea why I typed Brian?? Old man brain cramp I guess.

 

[JudyB]

I’m pretty sure it’s a rabbit. About a year ago, I had the invisible fence company surround my bonsai benches and my growing area to keep my dogs from wreaking havoc there. That’s worked great, but I fear one particularly large rabbit has figured out that my dogs can’t get in there and he is wreaking havoc now. I’ve seen him eating my Japanese Blackpine seedlings once... They were actually on the ground, along with a few more mature trees that he pruned for me . The bench that these two-year-old seedlings were placed on is about 24 inches off the ground on the backside… Don’t forget that these benches are on a very steep hill. I placed a bunch of potted plants behind the bench to overwinter there , And that affectively lowered the height of the bench to maybe 14-16 inches in spots. Did I mention that this is a very big rabbit. Out of all the Japanese Blackpine cuttings I made this past year, I have Less than half remaining because of him.… I like that idea of going Elmer fudd on his ass but my HOA wouldn’t be happy. Haven’t seen a squirrel in my backyard and six months, either.

Can you do an electric fence inside your dog fence? That will eliminate pretty much every critter. I had something digging in my trees late fall and put one of the sheep fences up, problem solved.

 

[Carol 83]

Sorry to see that. You've had more than your fair share of tree damage lately. We used to have a lot of rabbits, then a big hawk came to live in one of our landscape trees. Haven't seen a rabbit for a long time.....

 

[Soldano666]

Ughhhh.

 

[Mike Hennigan]

Sorry to see that. You've had more than your fair share of tree damage lately. We used to have a lot of rabbits, then a big hawk came to live in one of our landscape trees. Haven't seen a rabbit for a long time.....

There you go! You just need to take up falconry as you’re next hobby!

 

[Dav4]

Can you do an electric fence inside your dog fence? That will eliminate pretty much every critter. I had something digging in my trees late fall and put one of the sheep fences up, problem solved.

Unfortunately, the terrain would make it extremely difficult to do this effectively while still looking nice.... gardening on a hill in the woods isn't for the faint of heart.

 

[Dav4]

Sorry to see that. You've had more than your fair share of tree damage lately. We used to have a lot of rabbits, then a big hawk came to live in one of our landscape trees. Haven't seen a rabbit for a long time.....

We have loads of hawks of various species down here... mainly because we have LOADS of rodents along with the rabbits, too... and this past year we had a bumper crop of baby bunnies in the neighborhood. In all these years, I've never had rabbits bother with my JBP or JRP until this past year, and only those in pots. Go figure.

 

[Carol 83]

Unfortunately, the terrain would make it extremely difficult to do this effectively while still looking nice.... gardening on a hill in the woods isn't for the faint of heart.

By the pictures of your benches, I'd probably break an ankle the first time I went down there. I'm not terribly graceful.