:-( So sorry about your plants, msmisk.

Yes, they sure are cute. But STAY CUTE AWAY FROM MY GARDEN!

It is a good thing my yard is small. I attached chicken wire to the bottom of my fence and make sure nobody leaves the gates open. Can't do anything about the tree rats, though, or stray cats. Liquid fence does not work.

In the front yard, I sprinkle blood meal over spring bulbs in early spring. That seems to work. Boy, do I wish for a hawk or two.

I've had a terrible time with the bunnies, squirrels, chipmunks and deer this season. Nothing I put on the plants would keep them away until someone on another board gave me a recipe for a stinky spray. It's been working great. No damage from foraging critters since I started using it. You mix a few cloves of crushed garlic, 3 whole eggs and a few spoonfulls of vegetable oil in a gallon of water then set it out in the sun to rot for a few days. Once it's "ripe" shake it up to remix the ingredients then strain it into a spray bottle and spray your plants. Yep, it does stink for a few hours but it's worth it to me to keep my plants from being eaten. I reapply every week or after a hard rain.
Karyn

that's so true - many times I've wanted to scare them, put out harmful food (yes, guilty of those thoughts...) but they ARE so darned cute and God's little creations... but He could have created them to eat bad bugs instead.......

Carrie

Max and Maggie keep the critters exercised, sometimes let loose in the house, and sometimes killed on the front porch. Meow.

Omg.....I'da had a coniption fit LOL!

I've been watching my neighbors rabbits, cats and dog, tending to the garden and home while she works out of town during the week. Well 4 days ago at about 6am I peeked out the window and say the male out and about hopping around the yard...one of my beds within 5' away. Of course I ran out there but nothing was touched...broccoli, carrots, flowers still there! Thank goodness one of the cats was keeping him occupied. They were playing :D Somehow he managed to chew his way thru the wire mesh bottom...lil' shister!
Then speaking of babies...the female started having babies Wednesday evening and by Thursday morning she had 6 live and 1 dead....I buried it under the Cherry Tree:(

Vera

They may be cute, but this sure isn't! It's ugly with a capital U!

My winter sown Lupine

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I have lots of similar damage to others too. I bought some smelly stuff called Shot-Gun Repels-All to spray on all the things they've nibbled. I just hope my lovely seedlings have a chance to rebound!

Our two outdoor kitties both died of old age last year, and the two indoor ones have agoraphobia!

Alison

Karyn, would that concoction work on cats and squirrels? I gotta try that. I bought a gallon of very expensive organic spray. Didn't work on cats. Made my yard smell like garlic. Darn.

Here's my bunny damage. And it ain't pretty !

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Chickory

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Marigolds

Rabbits wiped out about 80% of my native WS plants this year. Fortunately, I was able to get some divisions of some full-grown plants from my sister. I also allowed all the butterfly weeds to grow that keep popping up everywhere. So, my garden isn't bare, but it's not at all what I had planned. I don't want to have to put up fences, but those rabbits ate EVERYTHING! I'd let the cats out, but they'd rather chase the birds, and I have a pair of cedar waxwings nesting somewhere nearby.

Martha

Owww :-(

Pitimpinai so far that mix has kept all the woodland critters away from my plants (no cat problems except the ones that live inside my house! lol). I last sprayed 5 days ago and will probably spray more tomorrow. I can smell it for a few hours after I spray but the animals must be able to smell it for a lot longer. I haven't had any squirrel, rabbit, possum, deer or chipmunk damage since I've sprayed it and they were making daily/nightly raids on my gardens. The only critter probem that I'm still having are racoons fishing in my pond : (
Karyn

Thanks, karyn. I'll try that and see what happens. :-)

I finally gave up and hung this baby quilt up in my laundry room as a tribut to the bunnies !

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