Good to know. Thank you. (I am a long-time lurker who has finally joined.) I also balked at the cost of using beer, so I tried a little yeast, sugar and water in my slug traps (buried-to-the-lip cottage cheese containers.) It seems to work fine. Interestingly, I had many more slugs when I first started gardening 20 years ago. I didn't trap all that many, but something has decreased the population. This is slug country, but my hostas are untouched.

You winter sowers are a terrific bunch. I love reading your exchanges. I've also learned a tremendous amount, and have you to thank for many new perennials. Thank you all. Sharing knowledge is like sharing a smile. It doesn't cost the giver, but it is truly valuable.

"I am a long-time lurker who has finally joined."

Glad to know you are here! Don't be shy about including yourself in the container count! And welcome!

Welcome, hepatica.

Karen

Ahh hmmm - - I should clarify, however, that the slugs were ALIVE and EATING... so it's not a slug trap - but still I didn't know there were slugs in that area UNTIL I put that dish down -

I am going to make myself a yeast trap - that sounds like a lot cheaper than stale beer.

Carrie

Carrie,

I don't know that the wild rabbits would know that they're supposed to be eating those hard little pellets - they didn't read the label on the box. :-) Wild ones go for the fresh greens.

Deanna

thanks, gardenfanatic... no wonder no one ever touches the plate... except for SLUGS! :0/

Carrie

well, if the bunnies dont know the bunny pellets are food, how on earth do the slugs know that its slug food?

:)
cuz they(the slugs) are nasty, thats why.

... I am telling you, guys, those bunnies are OUT TO GET ME... I am SO nice, I put a plate of bunny food (says it right on the box) and they still go to my garden...:0/

I am getting paranoid.. they are out to "get me" They need to find another food source other than my prized flowers! Okay, I am bringing on the soap flakes as my last resort. I'll show dem silly wabbits!

Carrie :0/

Carrie, I am with you on the bunnies. they drive me nuts in my yard.

A couple nights ago I caught one near my WS containers and I freaked. He did not even run far away from me so I threw my shoe at him (sorry bunny lovers, don't worry I missed).

I plan to sprinkle lots of blood meal and bone meal it seemed to keep them away last year. I am also thinking about liquid fence. I don't want my WS babies to get eaten.

I even joke about throwing lettuce seeds in my neighbor's yard so they munch there :) not sure that would work though.
Karen

karen, i know exactly what you are talking about... they just look at me, no matter how many times I chase them, they come right back!

I thought of the blood meal, but it washes away everytime it rains, PLUS.. it gets expensive to buy. I know that they are coming from the woods behind us, I also thought of planting lettuce (seeds are so cheap), but then that would bring even more animals and when the lettuce runs out - they would be looking further for more food.

There is no answer except a fence and that's impossible because I would have to fence in three acres... and wouldn't even look nice even if the fencing were free!

Trick is to plant as many flowers as possible, so when they eat, there are still some left.. that's my only answer

Carrie

I am nervous I am going to have a horrible year with rabbits. A week ago, I went out in the backyard, and there were four rabbits. (I live in town and my yard isn't that big.) The other day I checked to see if some spinach and lettuce seeds had sprouted in my raised bed. (I have some direct sown and some winter sown in containers still.) I noticed some fluffy stuff in my raised garden bed, pulled it aside, and there was a nest of baby bunnies! I don't have much experience dealing with them, so hopefully my garden won't be completely destroyed. I may give the bloodmeal a try.

That happened to me last year - they are adorable and not big eaters but it's the following year that hit me - they are adult rabbits with huge appetites. See if there is some kind of shelter that would gather them up - nobody helped me here. My husband thought they were adorable but HE'S not the gardener..

Carrie

You need a greyhound. The bunnies don't come into our yard anymore with Poppy around! Lol!

Karen

They don't care for cayenne pepper, so if you sprinkle your plants with that, they won't eat them. I've had to resort to that.

Also - there's a product called Shake Away. It's dried fox urine, and it really does work as far as keeping the rabbits away. Sprinkle it around the perimeter of the bed and they'll stay away.

Deanna

You could always get a neighbor that feeds feral cats who are right at this moment trying to mate in my back yard. To get rid of the feral cats, you'll need some large dogs. If the dogs become a problem, you'll need to invest in a couple of bulls. When the bulls take over the neighborhood, you might need to move.

I'll send over Leather Marie and Diesel Delores. My girls will take care of the cats! And no bulls needed.

Prof

Trick is to plant as many flowers as possible, so when they eat, there are still some left.. that's my only answer

That is my answer for every gardening problem. If I pant enough of something between the bunnies and my DD I have to plant a lot... If I can out plant what they can eat or pick I win.

We live in town and see bunnies everywhere--everywhere except our back yard, that is. Fox wire terrier does the trick--she's psycho, and kills anything that moves. Doesn't matter that she's blind as a bat, she has super-sonic hearing, and I swear I caught her listening to the worms underground the other day.
Dogs keep da bunnies away, that's for sure; although, I do like ontheteam's suggestion--all we need is more enabling, right?

Carrie,
Maybe it was not the pellets that were the problem, but
the plate. Maybe it had human smell on it and they
stayed away. Just a thought.

Mary

I do like ontheteam's suggestion--all we need is more enabling, right?

LOL It's not Enabling it's a self defense plan..yeah that's it.
Ciao Shell

thanks, friesfan - I will try the pellets just on the ground and see what happens, worst thing would be a gravitation of more slugs and I can zap those instead :0)

I planted chives around my rabbit magnets the last two years and they seemed to keep the bunnies at bay. Don't have a clue what I'll be up against this year. It's going to be a whole different ball game for me!

glo