[upert]

did you know there were going to be a problem? i fenced off my plot for free with stuff i've acquired over winter. however, the rest of the site is poorly secured so we get a guy with his ferrets in. shooting isn't allowed, snares are cruel and should be checked every four hours but i won't be surprised if both are used soon.

in short; skip dive or beg and arm yourself.

[garddwr]

Ok I always thought the best way to do it was chicken wire. What  did you use ?

[upert]

cut up harris fencing (as seen around building sites), weld mesh found dumped or in skips, a self-built wooden fence. plastic corrugate sunk into the ground. i've used allsorts. as long as it has gaps less than 32 mm (i think). have a look here: http://handbooks.btcv.org.uk/handbooks/content/section/3315

[tam]

Temporarily you could try picking up some cheap rabbits runs on freecycle/freeads. They are good for keeping rabbits out as well as in. Or knock up some cloche style covered made of mesh instead of plastic. Stick bricks around the edge to deter digging under. It's not as rabbit proof as digging down/fencing properly but it might be a quicker/cheaper way to protect what you have in.

[garddwr]

Thanks for that upert and tam I'll have to study that page and look at the options.

[upert]

In general, rabbits will not eat squash, cucumbers, tomatoes (although sometimes they will "taste" the stems), corn, potatoes or peppers.

[peterjf]

the rabbit fence alsao needs to be underground , say about 3 foot , when we had bunny probs we wired opur fencing upto a 12volt battery , it didnt kill them but they didnt like it , lol , you need to the battery on charge , then take it your plot early evening , recharge it every day for a month , thatll stop em

[woodburner]

I looked up the RHS list of rabbit proof plants a while back. They say potatoes and globe artichokes, so I will be growing them outside my rabbit fence.

[Sue32]

I was advised to use netting at about hip height. (so wire roll about 3ft (1m) wide)   This height will deter (not stop) the smaller deer too.  What is more important is to ensure that you have some buried as when the rabbits find the netting and can't get over it they start to burrow under.  Either 1ft straight down below ground, or bend the bottom 6-8" outwards and bury that a couple of inches under soil/stones etc.
good luck

[Sue32]

I just spent a fortune and got an aching back putting up chicken wire.  Now I've just seen an add for something called Grazers - sold by Harrods
They claim: Grazers Rabbit Repair Kit is a completely harmless and non-toxic liquid, effective against rabbits, pigeons, deer & geese The solution is absorbed by the plant through the stem and leaves and this can take a few days, depending on the time of year.  It makes the plant totally unpalatable to rabbits, pigeons, deer and geese. An added benefit is that it contains calcium which helps to promote new growth

Any-one tried this?  I supect it may is expensive for long term use / large plots, but if it works might be ok for a small crop.

[Kristen]

I netted my vegetable patch with Rabbit wire from

https://4wire.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=197

which is about £1.10 per metre run.   Bent the bottom 9" or so outwards and let the grass grow through it (its now "meshed" into the lawn), but you could bury it instead; the roll will be the correct width to give the right height for the fence with a bit bent outwards.

My understanding is that it is better to bend it outwards, rather than bury it vertically

I used L shaped metal stakes to support it - they were easy to hammer into the ground and are very rigid.

[Babstreefern]

How about a pair of ferrets .  They are the absolute enemies of each other.  Ferrets will kill rabbits, no questions asked

When rabbits get a wiff of these, you won't see them for dust, and they don't take much to look after them either.  Just make a hutch and a large run and bobs your uncle

[Salmo]

Wire is the best solution. Where do the rabbits live? Is there someone local who would ferret them?

Traps cost £35 from Harrods
http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/HarrodSite/product/Pest%20Control_Humane%20traps/GPC-800.htm

You need to get the rabbits confident. Put out carrots as bait spread around the area of the trap with the trap doors fixed open for a few days, put some carrots inside the trap. Once the carrots are being eaten set the trap so that it will spring.

The law says you must check traps twice a day. You can transport the rabbits and release them but this must be several miles away. If you want to kill them be prepared to do it humanely yourself, or know someone who will or can teach you. The same goes for skinning and gutting.

[gimli]

you could always buy a lurcher 
that would scare them of.

[David.]

Everything I grow is protected by rabbit fencing, as the only thing they don't eat (so far) is sweet williams.

I've always used the BCTV method: http://handbooks.btcv.org.uk/handbooks/content/section/3315 but kept to 25mm mesh and used old gazebo poles, roofing batten offcuts, etc. for pots.

The cheapest place I've found for fencing is Wilkos, and sometimes that involves snipping 600mm high fencing in two and adding another 600mm high layer on top to get it rabbit 'jump proof' - but having it split like this can make it easier to get a rotorvator throigh.

Rolls of wire from Wilkos are also useful for joining/top wire support, especially if boughtb when 75% off at end of year.

However, \Wiulkos wire is not as thick as some others and you will need to check and patch it if the rabbits have bitten through.