I have deer or rabbits eating my green beans
chrmann
13 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (14)
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
13 years ago
organicguy
13 years agoRelated Discussions
help rabbits eating my plants!
Comments (69)Hello, everyone! I am a new member, and glad to be here. This is a long post, but it's worth reading, because it is a simple, inexpensive and permanent solution to the problem of rabbits eating your flowers and vegetables. I do cannot understand why so many people pass up this infallible solution for keeping rabbits and other small critters (and maybe deer, as well) from eating their flowers and vegetables. IT WORKS, PERIOD. Put in a blender the following, none of which need to be peeled or otherwise fooled with, except for the onion, which should be cut in quarters, to facilitate blending: 2 dozen habanero peppers 1 whole head garlic 1 medium red onion 1 tablespoon peppermint oil Add enough water so that it comes to about 4 inches above ingredients.(This really means to add enough water that ingredients will get as liquefied as possible.) Blend on highest speed until it appears to you that all ingredients are thoroughly liquefied. Add enough additional water to come up to the 1 quart mark on blender. Blend again at high speed for 30 seconds or so. Strain the mixture through a nylon stocking, or better yet, a nut milk bag, if you have one. It might even be worth your while to buy a nut bag expressly for the purpose of making this recipe. (Just do a search under "Not bag" or "nut milk bag.) But a nylon stocking will work. Strain mixture over a bowl through stocking (or nut bag) till no more liquid runs through. Then squeeze as much more liquid as possible out of what is still in the stocking. WASH YOUR HANDS AND UNDER YOUR NAILS VERY WELL WITH LOTS OF SOAP AND WARM WATER AFTER HANDLING THE MIXTURE. Using a funnel, pour the strained liquid into a 1 quart spray/stream bottle. Now you are ready to spray or squirt the mixture on your plants. Rabbits will NOT eat plants on which you spray this stuff. You don't need to over spray, but don't be stingy, either. Make sure whatever you spray gets a decent dousing. It won't take long before the critters keep away just because of the smell HOWEVER, you MUST be vigilant about using this stuff. After it rains, especially after a hard rain, spray your plants again. Whether it rains or not, spray every 3 weeks. If the smell wears off sufficiently, the rabbits will be back. Also, there will be young, "unschooled" rabbits coming along throughout the season, That's it. No rabbit fences, no dogs, cats, traps, etc. The main reason this mixture works is because rabbits will not take more than a nibble of a leaf with this stuff on it before they try something else. By the way, rabbits have a "favorites" list." So if you spray this mixture on whatever is their favorite item in your garden, they will begin eating whatever is second, then third, fourth, etc. on their list. So that means you need to spray most things in your garden, except for plants you know they won't eat, like tomatoes, for instance. I read the post about rabbits eating someone's tomatoes, and I would not believe it unless I actually saw it. The reason is that tomatoes, potatoes and other nightshade family plants have a horrible tasting poison in their leaves and stems. Rabbits simply cannot to tolerate it. Try a little nibble on a leaf yourself, and you'll see... Well, that's it: Capsaicin is the end of the line for rabbit problems, as well as other small critter problems. I think this stuff also works for deer, but am not sure. It may be that a mixture for deer needs to also have "putrefied egg solids" in it. THAT is something I would buy, not make!...See MoreHow can I deter deer from eating my Bloodgood?
Comments (14)I use it for 2 years and it works! "I have used a similar solution for years. (We have 30-40 deer every night feeding on the field next to us and some adventuresome deer always manage to sneak in under the dog's nose.) Fill a 4 litre milk jug almost to the top with water. Take one egg. Whisk or beat the egg really well, DO NOT STRAIN. Pour into milk jug and close lid. Shake back and forth to mix. Now, pour some into a small squirt bottle and as you are walking around your acreage or yard mist the plants you do not want the deer to eat. You do not have to POUR the solution on your plants, a little mist goes a long way. Rain will wash it off. I reapply after EVERY rain or dew and otherwise about once a week, if no rain. I have NEVER noticed a smell of rotten eggs on my plants in hot weather. The mixture will smell if left unused for a few days and you will smell the solution as you are misting with old solution, but it goes away as it dries..... my garden does not smell in hot weather. The protein smell deters the deer. You can spray your plants with fresh or days-old mixture, both work. My spray bottle has been used for about 4 years and has NEVER "gummed up". Better solution... permanent solution...an eight foot fence or deer hunting season."...See MoreSomethings eating my green bean leaves...
Comments (3)How many holes in an average leaf? 5? 10? 25? 50? And, how big are the holes? The size of a BB? The size of an M&M? Larger than that? Are you seeing any grasshoppers or leafhoppers around because that's usually what eats my bean leaves. Dawn...See MoreI hope I have a solution to crows and deer eating my garden.
Comments (3)Hi, Brand new member here and this is my first post. I haven't tried this yet but I will because I live in a high deer population area. I was reading my Countryside back issues and in one a lady reported great success by putting blood meal around the garden. She puts it in pantyhose, puts that in a bag, pokes a couple little holes in it (deer have EXCELLENT noses) and hangs them around the place in semi-sheltered areas so the rain doesn't wash it away. The deer don't like the smell and stay away. This reminds me of how my mom used to hang little muslin bags of hair trimmings from our haircuts on the fruit trees. One downside: the neighbors may think that you are practicing black magic....See More
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agoKimmsr
13 years agochrmann
13 years agoorganicguy
13 years agoorganicguy
13 years agoDan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
13 years agochrmann
13 years agoKimmsr
13 years agodavidtybee
13 years ago
PROWhysall Photography, LLC
6 years agoDonna R
6 years ago
Related Stories
SUMMER FRUITS AND VEGETABLESSummer Crops: How to Grow Beans
Grow your own beans for amazing variety and healthy, convenient produce all summer
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESOh, Deer! 10 Native Flowers That Stand Up to the Herds
Keeping a garden amid hungry deer can be hard, but these plants should fare well
Full Story
CONTAINER GARDENS7 Deer-Resistant Flowers for Your Summer Containers
Grow these as protection for edibles or just for their colorful beauty — deer might not like them, but everyone else will
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESTop 12 Summer-Blooming Perennials for Deer-Resistant Drama
Can you have garden color, fragrance and exciting foliage with hungry deer afoot? These beauties say yes
Full Story
FENCES AND GATESA Deer Fence Can Be Decorative as Well as Protective
You need a monster-size fence to shelter your garden from deer, but it doesn’t have to look like a monstrosity
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESGreat Garden Combo: 3 Wonderful Plants for a Deer-Resistant Screen
Protect your privacy and keep deer at bay with a planting trio that turns a problem garden area into a highlight
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: Pseudognaphalium Obtusifolium, or Rabbit Tobacco
This late-blooming native annual, also known as sweet everlasting, adds spontaneity to landscapes in the eastern United States
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDES10 Deer-Resistant Native Flowers to Plant This Fall
Learn about natives that embrace some kinds of wildlife but resist grazing deer
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDES10 Easy Edibles for First-Time Gardeners
Focus on these beginner-friendly vegetables, herbs, beans and salad greens to start a home farm with little fuss
Full Story
TREES7 Deer-Resistant Flowering Trees to Plant this Fall
If you live in a neighborhood with roaming deer, consider these beautiful trees that won't tempt hungry guests
Full Story
petzold6596