[thephilosopher]

Hi there im new to the forum...just got a overgrown plot last week and have found several rabbit holes...neighbours say we have rabbits...what problems can this cause and should I try to remove them?

[min200]

Hi & welcome

Havnt a clue what to do with the rabbits...pie perhaps?

Im sure others much more knowledgable will be along shortly

[Yorkie]

Think I'll head any further comments about rabbit pie off at the pass - please!

Rabbits will eat a lot of new shoots of plants, you'll never get rid of them so best prevention is a rabbit proof fence.  I'm going to pop this thread over to Grow Your Own so others can see it, also if you do a search you'll find others who have raised and discussed this issue.

[green fingers]

Oh; just did a long reply to this and it has disappeared into the ether!

Rabbit problems are SERIOUS  and unless you get to grips NOW you will end up with nothing for all your hard work. 

[wysiwyg]

Hi there, is your allotment site along side a wall or in middle of areas,  are you on a shared site, because if so the rabbits I would imagine are doing damage to others ground not just yours!!  They will love it if you sort their problem out for them!  you have cleared the ground you said, so why not see if you can get in contact with someone local who has a few ferrets that they could run through and catch bunnies??  If you dont know anyone - maybe post on Hunting life forum for some help?  Friendly bunch and you are bound to find someone in the area who would like some easy feretting.  Feretting them out is far nicer than poisoning and far more effective!

Then once your patch is clear might be an idea to rabbit proof it as well. 
As for rabbit pie, much prefer it as a casserole myself!!!

[bailey]

where are you based?

agreed rabbits need to be got rid, shooting, ferrets or gas, the first 2 should be the easiest though bearing in mind the law with the shooting aspect,though i,msure someone may enjoy the sport after hours
who owns your plot? as a landowner has a duty of care in respect of culling rabbits

[Oliver]

Rabbit problems are SERIOUS  and unless you get to grips NOW you will end up with nothing for all your hard work. 

If your allotment is owned by the Council report the problem to them - it is their job to remove rabbits from the plot. Our Council gets a man in at the appropriate time with ferrets to deal with them. We have none on our site now.  The other site has had its brambles removed and the rabbits dealt with, so we shall see what happens next year. Lets hope the remaining rabbits have moved house to the neighbouring field as there is nowhere for them to hide now that the brambles have gone.
Oliver

[hindy]

Rabbit problems are SERIOUS  and unless you get to grips NOW you will end up with nothing for all your hard work. 

If your allotment is owned by the Council report the problem to them - it is their job to remove rabbits from the plot.

Wish someone would tell our council that apart from me.  All I get is them saying theres nothing that they can do about it and to put a fence up.

[Trebor]

I have occasional digging from rabbits on the plot, but also paw prints from foxes. The rabbits are not a major problem and I think this is because the foxes are helping maintain a balance. I think you need a bigger hole in the fence, about fox size!

[crowndale]

I had a family of rabbits under my shed.  our lottie site's official ferreter came put down his extremely well fed ferret who went under the shed and killed the family of rabbits but left them there.  there is now a very nasty smell in my shed and I imagine it'll be a while before it goes.  so moral of story, get a thin ferret to kill AND eat the rabbits or to kill and remove them rather than leave them.  there's nothing I can do short of moving the shed and its too big to do that.  Am still having rabbit problems though there are so many on our site and pidgeon problems, they have had to tops off all my new peas and pulled out about half of my onions, had no problems with pidgeons last year.  even the spuds have been dug into!  So next eyar everything will have to be netted, a real pain.

[green fingers]

 Ive given in and ordered netting  and just waiting for it to arrive, so shall be busy making cloches, fencing in. etc.   Saw 10 little bunnies running through the holes in that orange plastic netting (I hate it) so loved  by some on our lottie., so in a few weeks we could have hundreds.    Chased off that dratted cock pheasant this evening and cant catch the dear little mouse that is eating tops off my seedlings in the cold frame.  However, the mole has departed (I stopped watering) for a while but he disturbed all the beetroot.  the rabbits started eating garlic and onion tops. so far the only thing left alone are the gladiolis.
Watering on an allotment with no laid on water is a problem
HOWEVER I LOVE MY LOTTIE AND THE CHALLENGES EACH DAY BRINGS111