Hi Joey,
Rabbits are eating the bark off my trees — the trees in the picture are autumn olive trees. They’re also eating the bark off my crabapple trees – and others.
Last summer when rabbits ate many of my plants, a professional landscaper tried a ton of solutions. I sprinkled moth balls, coyote urine, etc. Nothing worked. Now, it appears that rabbits are living under my deck, which means I’ll have even more this spring.
This afternoon I sprinkled “Shake Away” Fox Urine Granules under the trees. I’m not optimistic…
I know that a lot of people are struggling with the rabbit invasion this winter. Perhaps one of your readers will have a suggestion.
Thanks.
Jeanne Blake
Editors note-
My advice- bring in some Coyotes 
Can’t resist linking to an episode of Rabbid Invasion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suIfE6ki3Gg
Good Morning Gloucester 
Has anybody else seen a bobcat around Glosta? My wife and I saw one that crossed our yard in East Gloucester on Friday in the morning.
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Hi Jeanne,
The rabbits ate the bark off my magnolia tree, too. It is thought that the main reason why many communities are seeing an explosion of rabbits, white-tailed mice, and chipmunks is because the coyotes have out-competed the fox for habitat. Fox are better hunters of small rodents and rabbits than are coyotes. You can read more here: https://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/coyote-red-fox-and-lyme-disease-in-massachusetts/
We now have deer roaming Plum Street as well. This has been quite a winter!
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Thanks Kim – until I read your article, I thought I wanted coyotes back in my yard. We have a pack roaming (and howling) in our neighborhood. I haven’t seen them in my yard for months. Someone suggested I leave Alpo out to attract fox. I did so a few nights ago. It sat untouched for two nights and then voila!. It disappeared. I have no idea who/what ate it. I’m sure someone will tell me that was unwise. But watching the trees be destroyed has led to desperate actions!
Thanks again…
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Wabbit problem?
Be vewy, vewy quite. We’re huntin wabbits….
Do they allow hunting in Gloucester?
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Are you sure it’s rabbits? Deer have a habbit of doing that too (they got my apple trees).
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Definitely rabbits. I’ve seen them. Lots of them. No deer here…thank you!
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Want to hire my cat? He had a great hunting season last summer. Haven’t seen any around my neighborhood so I’m thinking they took the hint and moved on.
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The rabbits are eating barks off of trees because it is the only food for them this year. The snow has been high and there is no food for the wildlife. With out these trees the rabbits would starve, So much of the wildlife have starved to death this year. Sorry about your trees but maybe you could put food out for the.
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I have made little, but tall, fences out of the kind of metal screening used on window screens around my blue berries, very close to the trunk. It works and there are other things the bunnies can eat in the vicinity.
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Nancy, thank you for taking time. Unfortunately with the snow it’s really hard to put up fences – also the autumn olive trees have a trunk that goes in a lot of directions. However, a neighbor pointed out another tree in a different part of the yard that’s being eaten and I believe your idea will help. I was successful with fences around a few shrubs last summer. So thanks!
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lots of rabbits here on the annisquam river. i haven’t seen any coyotes but have heard them at night.
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Blood meal might help..sprinkle around your plants. It has nitrogen in it for fertility also. It might work better after the snow has gone because it depends on hungry the rabbits are.
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Thank you for taking time to send your suggestion — unfortunately, by the time the snow is gone the trees likely will be, too. The trees vascular system has been badly damaged. I believe we tried blood meal in the summer time – to no avail. Thanks again!
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Over this way the wrap their tree’s with blankets or other material to keep them from eating through. I think it was mainly the snow that drove this…Kim is right about foxes etc… Many tree’s this way they also use rice straw wrap and what that does is collect some of the bugs and when removed take with straw. Dave:-) & Kim 🙂
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I came home for lunch today and found my wife beside herself because rabbits destroyed the top of her crab apple tree which came from a seed her late mother had left her years ago. Half the tree is gone and the other half is under the snow. I don’t think it’s going to see another year. They can have the rest of my carrots, but I doubt they’ll take the rest of the tree off the menu.
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