This cute bunny is growing fast. He now eats a surprising quantity of my garden plants. I didn't really see a need for him to eat my nice big marigold. They can't taste good. They have a pungent odor and I plant them mostly as a pest deterrent.
But the rabbit started in on the big yellow flower, and then he ate the smaller yellow flower, and then the leaves and stem. Well, yes, the stem was hanging out over the path and probably did need clipping - but it did not need to be entirely consumed by rabbit.
The Boston Globe had an article two days ago about rabbits over running the Boston area. (Run, rabbit, run) They pointed put that one female rabbit (probably a male needed too) can produce 5-6 bunnies 2-3 times a year totaling lots. And bunnies mature fast, so ones born in the first two litters can produce additional litters of bunnies of their own in that one year. So 2 parents can make about 50 rabbits in one season!
Well, Skippy has decided he wants in on the fun. He loves chasing cottontails. So now when I spot one, I tell Skippy and he gets the bunny to move - fast. Thanks Skip! I have enough cute bunny-eats-plants pictures. Now I need bunny-runs-fast pictures.
19 comments:
Wow, you really got some amazing photos of the little bunny. He's so cute! Too bad he's so destructive.
I certainly don't mean to laugh-I have bunnies of my own to contend with--but that is the best picture of a bunny ever. Too cute for words! Sorry.
OMG!
It's so adorable... destructive and a pest but oh so adorable~
so cute! Our dogs, Gus and Ollie are a little too good at bunny chasing- sometimes they catch them.
I need to figure out a way to keep them out of my yard!!!!
So much for marigold being a rabbit deterrent.
That's a cute bunny. I wonder how they survive in winter when there is nothing to eat.
lee
Figures.....the pest eats the pest deterrent..... Thus continuing the never ending battle of gardener vs. The ever so cute, yet destructive garden pests!
-Felicia-
I once saw a bunny in my yard eat an entire gerbera daisy head in one bite. I would have never believed it had I not seen it myself.
He eats marigolds?! You've go to be kidding! I had no idea!
Cute bunny photo - and the produce shown in the post below makes a lovely shot!
That is in-SANE-ly CUTE!!! And re: other comments re: "pest" eating the pest-deterring plant, one year I planted marigolds, something ate them ALLL (bugs, I think) to nubs before really touching ANYthing else in the garden. Bizarre.
Marigold flowers are quite tasty. Not nearly as pungent as the plants. I think marigolds keep out nematodes, not rabbits. To keep out rabbits, you need a full-time rabbit hound. Or a fence that goes 4 feet under the ground.
Slugs will eat marigolds too. Slip slurp munch, right down to a sticky web of string.
I don't find this rabbit cute. I find it very edible and roasty.
It will make a great centre piece with all the veggies shown below.
I guess Skippy is not a guard dog. :)
Great post Kathy! Your math is just like mine - 5 babies 2 or 3 times a year makes a lot. I love it. Good luck to you and Skippy.
g, I do biostatistics professionally and have to resist the urge to go into details ...
Skippy chased the bunny twice and I haven't seen him since! He is a good guard dog after all!
We had rabbits growing up and they used to sit on our patio and eat our summer petunias in a stunningly adorable way (end first, sucking them in like edible trumpets). Your marigold muncher reminded me of those good old bunnie flower days. Thanks much for posting!
I think the Globe is getting a bit worked up :-) Most baby animals do not survive to adulthood.
I found this post because my granddaughter told me marigolds would keep rabbits out of my garden. I guess it won't work.
I wrote a poem in honor of Skippy. I have the same problem, but with a pet my son brought home. Ginger no longer has run of our garden, he lives in a hutch and we feed him grass clippings and occasionally spent flowers.
Here's Skippy's poem (I used your picture as well) http://joycefied.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/flower-an-acrostic-poem/
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