Kill the Wabbits! Kill the Wabbits!

OK - I don't really want to kill the rabbits but they are seriously pissing me off right now and I have declared war.

It all started a few years ago when I moved into this house. My dog at the time, a black lab, loved to chase rabbits. He didn't care about birds or squirrels or chipmunks or cats. He chased only rabbits. Consequently, I had a relatively rabbit-free life, except I had to keep my eye for rabbits on our walks because if he spotted one and I was not aware of it, he could pull me along the ground by his leash chasing it.

Unfortunately, for reasons unrelated to rabbits, that dog passed away a few years ago. Then I got another dog, a yellow lab. She only chases squirrels. She shows some interest in other beings but really doesn't have the motivation. Of course, the rabbits have figured this out and have invaded my yard. It started in the back yard. They dug holes and had babies there. Last summer, while mowing the lawn, I discovered a rabbit nest full of babies. I felt so sick to my stomach because I almost mowed them over. I lay awake at night thinking of the rabbit carnage I almost caused. I felt so guilty I wouldn't let the dog in the back yard because I thought she might eat one of the babies. Then, one day, she got out and actually caught one of the babies in her mouth. She held it there, letting it squeak for dear life, and I shook her head until she dropped it. The baby rabbit scampered off to live a long life, I am sure.

Well, the rabbits are repaying me for my kindness. They are feasting my hostas in the front yard. Only my hostas. My next door neighbor has identical hostas just across the driveway. Do they eat his? NO. They eat mine. Down to the little stems. It looks like I have planted green toothpicks in my flower bed. Do they eat the weeds growing around the hostas? NO. Just the hostas.

I have tried more friendly discouragement. I put some decorative wire fencing around the bed. Didn't work. I read somewhere that rabbits won't go near an area that has dog hair surrounding it. I brushed and brushed the dog and saved all the hair (just over a weekend - I'm not crazy or anything). I spread the dog hair around the perimeter of the bed. Well, that kept the rabbits away. Until the birds discovered dog hair was the IDEAL nesting material and plucked it all for their nests. I have replanted the hostas three times.

So, this weekend, I declared war. I bought the strongest smelling mulch I could find. I looked at three different stores for liquid fence, to no avail. I settled for deer repellent because it is the next best thing. I coated the entire flower bed with deer repellent. Of course, the yard smells really, really bad and it took four hand-washings to get the smell off my hands.

Take that damn rabbits!!

Seriously, I don't want them to die. I just want them to eat my neighbor's hostas for a while.