Bon Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Will putting blood meal around them help? The got the one bush pretty much eaten down, will it come back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I'm assuming the leaves were gone this past summer or fall? Entirely or portions, holes, yellowing, leaf drop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Will putting blood meal around them help? The got the one bush pretty much eaten down, will it come back? That would be the deer. They get mine quite frequently and it always comes back. I don't think that holly is one of their favorite foods but with all of the snow browsing is getting hard. If they are hungry enough they will eat your bushes no matter what you do but perhaps the problem will be solved now that the snow is going to melt. They are saying 50 degrees and rain this week. Try the blood meal it will probably deter them if they aren't starving. The best thing to do is build a cage of chicken wire or something similar. Some of that plastic netting might work as well. As soon as the snow goes away I'm going to check mine. I kept meaning to cover it but never got around to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bon Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 no deer. lots of rabbit tracks ... we have a herd of rabbits in our yard. Also have some squirrels, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't eat holly. So we are thinking it's the rabbits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Kind of surprises me that rabbits would go for holly. They will go for bark and ruin your trees when they get hungry enough. They usually girdle them right at the snow line. Still if animals get hungry enough they will eat anything. Even the squirrels will go after bark if they can't get to their stored supplies because of snow cover. Covering the plants will work against rabbits as well as deer. So will the usual things. Squirrels I couldn't say. Somebody on here did have a problem with them once but they were eating soft plant tissue, tomatoes or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bon Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 The squirrels are well fed around here. They are the size of a small Chihuahua. I buy food just for them, and they also eat the bird seed. So thats why I think it's the rabbits. I will buy some blood meal tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Good luck with it! I think the thaw will help. Once the bunnies can get at the ground they will probably go after their normal food. I'll bet that holly isn't something they really like very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pheobe Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Rabbits love holly - I know it well from experience. I had 4 holly bushes that did not come back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 You learn something everyday! Do they eat it all the time or just when the snow gets bad? Nothing touches mine in the summer so I concluded that it isn't much liked by the animals which prefer the flowers to the shrubs. In the winter though the deer eat it here along with the Rhododendrons which supposedly are poisonous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I suppose everything wants a snack occasionally if it isn't their usual foods. With as deep as the snow has been they could probably reach the leaves easier than the buried grass and more tender bark. Coyote Urine will get rid of the rabbits but you have to respray. Or, you can send your hubby out on occasion! :-) Boys all love to pee in the snow. You could wrap then in blueberry screening. I have a tall one that was eaten on 3/4 of the bottom and the leaves never returned making it look like a topiary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bon Posted February 11, 2009 Author Share Posted February 11, 2009 Coyote Urine will get rid of the rabbits but you have to respray. Or, you can send your hubby out on occasion! :-) Boys all love to pee in the snow. LOL...I will tell him, but we live right next to the hwy!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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