What's new

Help! Rabbits digging up my yard! (1 Viewer)

Eric Peterson

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
2,959
Real Name
Eric Peterson
First off, I'm not a lawn manicurist like many people, but I do like to keep in decent shape. My neighbor for the last couple years almost never cut the grass, and it turned into a wildlife sanctuary. (There were rabbits, skunks, squirrels, etc...) over there all the time.

I finally got a new neighbor, and they're cutting the grass regularly, but the rabbits are still hanging around. I have nothing against the rabbits, and like watching them, but they are destroying my yard. I have small holes dug all over the yard, and I don't know what they're digging for. I'm assuming that this is the rabbits, since they're the only thing that has changed in recent years, but I have yet to actually see them digging. Do rabbits normally dig? If so, what are they digging for? I suppose it could be squirrels, burying nuts, but I've had squirrels around for years, and have never noticed this problem.

Finally, how can I fix the problem. I certainly don't want to kill the rabbits, but I'm considering selling my house this fall, and a butchered yard surely isn't going to increase the value any.:D Has anyone else experienced a similar problem, if so how did you get rid of it. I'd like to somehow chase them off, or dissuade them from continuing, short of poisoning them.
 

Marko Berg

Supporting Actor
Joined
Mar 22, 2002
Messages
856
If there's corpses anything buried in your yard that you'd rather nobody find out about, now would be a good time to dig it up and bury it somewhere else. :)
 

Linda Thompson

Supporting Actor
Joined
Apr 4, 2004
Messages
966
Real Name
Linda
We've never had this problem, but here are some things I turned up on the web:

Assuming that fencing (physical or electric) isn't an option, of course...

http://www.critter-repellent.com/rab...of-rabbits.php

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_wildlife...389260,00.html :)

I've read many recommendations of using deer repellent, predator urine/scent (such as the first product linked above), or some form of pepper or tobasco. Be EXTREMELY wary of the pepper route, though...if animals (including pets) get it in their eyes, they have been known to scratch their own eyes to the point of damage (or blindness) trying to get rid of the major irritant.

Catch-and-release traps are also recommended, but these involve a lot of work, and really don't keep the rabbits from returning, or new ones from moving in.

Good luck, and bless you for making it a priority that the animals not be harmed. :)

P.S. - Our yard is an intentional squirrel and bird sanctuary. We have bird houses, bird feeders, suet feeders, hummingbird feeders, and bird baths in one large area. We also have a dedicated squirrel area in another part of the yard, with squirrel cake feeders, with meshing around them to protect them from the birds, so that the squirrels don't have to compete. (It's only fair, since we also have squirrel-proof feeders in the birds' area.) We also have corn (on the cob) in two places in the squirrel area, as well as several watering stations. We also don't allow any birds to build nests in the trees in the squirrel area, so that the squirrels won't be harassed by protective avian parents. :)
 

Drew Bethel

Screenwriter
Joined
Nov 22, 1999
Messages
1,209
Throw some coyote urin around and you'll be fine. You can get it at your local farm supplier store.
 

Chris Tsutsui

Screenwriter
Joined
Feb 1, 2002
Messages
1,865
Or how about you use your own urine after you eat some Coyote. j/k hehe

My grandpa used to solve his gopher problems by putting a garden hose down the holes and flooding them out.
 

Julian Reville

Screenwriter
Joined
Aug 29, 1999
Messages
1,195
Bunnies!!!! I like bunnies. They're so cute and their fur is SOOOO soft......

Ahem...

It's kinda hard to blame the bunnies rabbits without some direct physical evidence, since by your own admission, you haven't seen them digging. I suggest reaching as far down one of these alleged bunny rabbit holes and see what you can grab. If it's little blackish pellets, then you may have discovered Watership Down, which is a designated federally protected don't-bother-the-bunny zone.

On the other hand, some snakes have been known to burrow.
 

Philip_G

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2000
Messages
5,030
Oh boy, just what I'd want to do, reach down some mysterious hole to pull up anything I can!

You sure it's not moles?
 

Eric Peterson

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
2,959
Real Name
Eric Peterson
Thanks for the suggestions so far.

Holes may be a bit of an exaggeration. These "HOLES" are 1-2 inches across and less than an inch deep. It's quite obvious that something is digging for something, and they are all over the yard. I see the rabbits nearly every day, and no other forms of wildlife. I thought maybe it was insects burrowing out, but the "HOLES" appear to be dug from above.

Maybe, I'll take a photo over the weekend, and post one.
 

BrianW

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 30, 1999
Messages
2,563
Real Name
Brian
With holes that small, my guess is that it's not the bunnies. As far as I know, bunnies dig only for shelter. Do these holes seem to appear in the morning? Or do they appear when you get home from work? If they appear in the morning, then they are probably from nocturnal critters looking for grubs. Have you seen any opossums or skunks around? They (as well as Texas armadillos, which I doubt you have) dig holes about that size looking for grubs and insects, and they do it in the wee hours of the night when you can't see them.

But if the holes appear when you get home from work, then it must be aliens.

True story: I have an opossum living under my shed. My dog has killed it three times! And she's gunning for a fourth time. Who knew that old playing dead trick actually worked?
 

Glenn Overholt

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 24, 1999
Messages
4,201
How about borrowing a small dog for a few weeks and putting the dog on a leash?

Another idea - get a motion detector and one of those very bright outdoor lights. If I wanted to dig around in the dark I wouldn't stick around!

Glenn
 

Eric Peterson

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
2,959
Real Name
Eric Peterson


That's what I was leaning towards, was something digging for insects or grubs. I didn't think bunnies did that, but I haven't seen any other strange wildlife around. I already have a light on the garage, but I could possibly put a motion detector on the yard light, and see if that helps. I haven't noticed when the holes appear, because I'm not in the yard all that regularly. We're in the middle of a fairly severe drought up here, and I haven't had to mow for over a month.
 

Blu

Screenwriter
Joined
Oct 6, 2001
Messages
1,360
Just get a pellet gun, if you don't hit them the sound will be plenty to scare them away as rabbits are like the salad bar buffet of the animal food chain.
 

jink

Auditioning
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
1
Real Name
Jennifer
I agree. I had the same problem and was told something (probably skunks) was digging for grubs. The suggestion was to kill the grubs and they would stop digging. I sprayed the yard for grubs and they went away....no more digging. It was cheap easy and it worked so I would say it's worth a shot.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top