RABBITS...

Thank you, Ivan! The dogs get a rabbit once in awhile, but the remaining ones are trap-shy, and unfortunately, there are too many places inside the fence where they can hide. I just bought more fencing and I guess the only solution is to partition off the yard into sections and clean out each one in turn. I have found rabbit nests in areas where I haven't weeded in awhile... Wish the hawks and blacksnakes that eat my birds would concentrate on four-legged critters for once.

It sure is, Eileen! It's not like the rabbits are starving and have to eat my flowers in order to survive... they have PLENTY out there that God provided for them, but they prefer to risk life and limb to come in here and eat my plants instead.

LOL Katy! I can identify with your plight! The trouble is, in order to rabbit-proof my place completely, I would have to have thousands of feet MORE of rabbit-proof fencing... remember the fencing that got into my "birch island" series? That was good enough to keep the dogs out, but not rabbits. The place would look like an armed fortress, unfortunately. Part of my problem is that, although I have fencing all around the part of the yard I have planted, we have two drive gates that must remain open during the day...

About the squirrels, I have no advice to offer. Seems as though you are dealing with them the best way you are able. We have a few squirrels too, but they aren't near the problem that the rabbits are. As for deer, they rarely jump the fence or walk in through the open gates even though they could.

Thank you for your suggestions, Betty! As I think I said on my other picture, there are products designed to make these things taste bad so critters will leave them alone, but they have to be reapplied frequently and especially after rains, and I have a LOT to protect, so there are definite limits to what I can do.

Go ahead and laugh, Kathy, might as well salvage SOMETHING out of the situation! My whole garden is corn on the cob for the rabbits... not to mention rats, voles, crows, coons, possums, skunks, woodchucks, ... and the Japanese beetles are due to show up just about any time now.