(MWAHAHA! Or, my ongoing battle with rabbits.)
Rabbits LOVE my lettuce. And my Swiss Chard. And my baby apricot trees. (Not pictured here.) Half of the lettuce is gone, all the chard is gone, and half the apricot trees are missing leaves.
(Which is a story for another time. The conversation went like this: ‘Hey, I accidentally bought 25 baby apricot trees… want some?’ To which the only possible answer is: ‘Sure! How many?’ while I frantically try to figure out where I could plant them!’
This conversation is strangely similar to this year’s: ‘Happy Mother’s Day! I know you have no kids, but want some apple trees as a prezzie?’ To which the only possible answer is: ‘Of course!’ while I frantically look at my yard and try to decide if my husband is going to murder me in a fit of tree digging rage.
Ha. Ha. I jest.
I love you, honey!
Anyway, bunnies. This has been hugely frustrating.
But I seem to have found a solution? Maybe?
I soaked crushed red pepper in a mixture of vinegar and hot water, strained it, and poured it into a spray bottle. I added a little dish soap just to make it particularly foul, and TADA! I have an entirely revolting, nostril burning spray that makes my eyes and nose burn and water profusely whenever I accidentally spray it upwind from myself.
Success? *cough**snort*
I imagine fondly, horrified bunnies drooling at the mouth and scurrying (hopping?) off into the distance, followed by deer kicking up their heels and rolling their eyes and some such.
One hopes.
In reality, I haven’t seen many signs one way or another, and it’s a real nuisance to keep reapplying it every time it rains.
Really, I can’t think of what else might work. Mammals react to pepper. Bird’s don’t care, but we certainly do! No one likes vinegar… wait unless maybe it’s like tasty salad dressing on my poor beleaguered lettuce?
*cough*
At least the dish soap should taste foul.
How is your gardening going this year? Are the pests pest-like? How do you deal with the little munchy brats?
