[monsta]

whats the best deterent? apart from a 12 bore!

as me spring cabbages have been hammered 

[craggy]

whats the best deterent? apart from a 12 bore!

as me spring cabbages have been hammered  

As you come from such a famous place,what about a bedlington terrier?p.s.while your at it get one for me,i love them{not rabbit}

[PennyS]

Hi,

We've got quite a big rabbit problem on our lotties.

I've just installed what I hope will deter them  - a chickenwire fence all round.  I've buried the first 6 inches horizontally to the outside of the plot. I was advised to get the sort with 1 inch holes, not any bigger.   (Got it quite reasonably on ebay).

We'll see if it works.  I doubt whether it'll keep them off completely but it might make it harder and persuade them to try somewhere else!!

hth Penny

[Mosslane]

Like you PennyS I have put up chicken wire, I tried plastic last year but they just chewed through it. I noticed they had tried to tunnel under a few days ago but gave up so hopefully it will work. Got some ferrerers coming soon to help me control them a little.

[Kristen]

I have "rabbit wire" (looks like chicken wire, natch!) which is 22mm (I think). 1M high, the rest (6" - 9") was just folded outwards and laid on the grass which grew through (walked round for the first few weeks and made sure it was properly "down")

Burying (horizontally) would be better I expect, but mine was too long for me to attempt that ...

I'm pretty sure mine came from here
http://www.meshdirect.co.uk/Rabbit-Netting-c-81.html
but that say 31mm "holes" ...

Details of a rabbit trap here:
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=34598.msg414556

[PennyS]

I have "rabbit wire" (looks like chicken wire, natch!) which is 22mm (I think). 1M high, the rest (6" - 9") was just folded outwards and laid on the grass which grew through (walked round for the first few weeks and made sure it was properly "down")

Burying (horizontally) would be better I expect, but mine was too long for me to attempt that ...

To be honest it was a pain burying it but I had to because the grass areas around the plots are mown and I don't want to wreck someone's mower!  I did most of the burying over the last couple of weeks while the soil is quite wet and it wasn't too horrendous.  My plot is only 16m x 8m so it was do-able. 

The fencing is 2ft 6 high now, I really hope that's going to be enough but if it isn't then I can always add height to it.   I'm very proud of my gate - done with leftover scraps of wood,  and various nails....

[monsta]

nice gate! thats the proper way to run an allotment! not throwing loads of ££££ at it  cheap an chearfull 

i dont think my allotment budget will stretch to buying wire mesh as its already spent on netting to keep of the wood pidgeons and butterflys! 

[Swing Swang]

Monsta - if you've no objections to killing then it might be worth live-trapping or using snares - don't know what your allotment rules are , or what the current legal position - you would have to research this thoroughly. Also it's not worth upsetting your neighbours or the neighbourhood even if you are doing everything 'right'.

Ditto air rifle rather than 12 bore.

Another option would be to contact the local ferreting club.

Rabbit chasseur made with your own veg, herbs and wine - yum yum

In the good old days a very low fence made from string soaked in creosote was used to effect, but you can't get creosote any more.

SS

[Kristen]

The fencing is 2ft 6 high now, I really hope that's going to be enough but if it isn't then I can always add height to it.

Quote a lot of rabbit fencing has a wire stretched about 4" above it - I think the idea is that if anything jumps the netting it hits the wire and winds back where it started! Might be an "easier option" if you find your fence is not high enough.

I've seen baby rabbits push through the "holes" on my wire - amazing!

[craggy]

nice gate! thats the proper way to run an allotment! not throwing loads of ££££ at it  cheap an chearfull 

i dont think my allotment budget will stretch to buying wire mesh as its already spent on netting to keep of the wood pidgeons and butterflys! 

Hi Monsta,what about the terrier.I assume you live in the Bedlington in Northumberland,is that so?if not i apologies.

[IanYORK]

good fences dug in 2 feet down does the trick for me.  And our old plot had rabbits every where...a real pain.   Worth investing the time to get your fence right, especially if you are going to be allotmenteering for many years to come. 

[sunshineband]

One of our local sites has a rabbit problem and all plot holders are told they must expect to fence their plot 'appropriately'

The cheapest option has been chicken wire buried a good spade depth straight down, and about 2 ft 6 ins high.  (1 inch holes)

Seems to work 

[PennyS]

The fencing is 2ft 6 high now, I really hope that's going to be enough but if it isn't then I can always add height to it.

Quote a lot of rabbit fencing has a wire stretched about 4" above it - I think the idea is that if anything jumps the netting it hits the wire and winds back where it started! Might be an "easier option" if you find your fence is not high enough.

I've seen baby rabbits push through the "holes" on my wire - amazing!

Ooh that's interesting about the wire on top - a lot easier than adding extra chicken wire.  Thank you!

[Kristen]

Ooh that's interesting about the wire on top - a lot easier than adding extra chicken wire. 

Obvious point but: worth using in some slightly over-tall posts if you think you might need to do this later

[BostonInbred]

Where i am rabbits are vermin and so its legal to trap and kill them. The looney part of this is if you catch one alive, its then illegal to let it go  (because its illegal to release vermin into the wild).

And on a Useless Information note, in mediaeval times there was a rabbit warren on the fens round Woodhall Spa that allegedly covered   more than 4 square miles.