Dealing with Rodents

Rabbits and mice can do considerable damage to flowers, vegetables, trees and shrubs any time of the year. These rodents will eat the bark of trees and shrubs during the winter.  When the gnawing encircles the stem, it dies.  Girdled stems may try to leaf out in the spring, but will die shortly after. 

In spring cottontails will devour a wide variety of green vegetation when young succulent plant material is present.  Clean-cut clipping of young stems, distinctive round droppings and tracks, can identify rabbit damage. 

Chemical repellents using the fungicide Thiram may discourage rabbit browsing.  Repellents should be applied before damage occurs and after a rain, heavy dew, or new plant growth. 

To create an unfavorable habitant for rodents, remove dense, heavy vegetative cover, brush piles, weed patches, junk dumps and stone piles. Fencing made from chicken wire can be placed around plants.  The fence must be at least two feet high with the bottom buried three inches.   Hardware cloth made into cylinders will protect trunks of young orchard trees and woody landscape plants.  The hardware cloth needs to extend above the usual snow line so the animal cannot feed above the protected area.

Live animal traps, effective in winter, can be baited with corn or apples. 

The following is a partial list of plants that may be severely damaged by rabbits: