| Keep Those Pesky Rabbits, Rats and Mice at Bay |
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By Kate Nelson
Scripps Howard News Service
Two fat rabbits bounce into the penstemon patch. More effective than a clear-cut logging operation, they've already laid waste to the yarrow, the valerian, the bee balm and the few tufts of native grass that defied the drought. They even murdered the mint. Oh, the misery. All the years I wasted trying to control the insidious spread of mint, and here it is: two fat rabbits. They're not alone. Wood rats have devoured the tomatoes, the fledgling raspberry plants and a delicate rosebush. Meanwhile, mice are building a pile of cleaned-out juniper berries by the front door. (I now enter and exit under a fog of Lysol spray.) Such are the facts of life I list for anyone who expresses envy for my country life. Marauding rabbits! Voracious rats! Invasive mice! If they're not impressed, I throw in a few rattlesnakes. "Keep Manhattan -- just give me that countryside!" Uh, sure, but could I have those green acres vermin-free? Sadly, no. Lack of rain left a dearth of native food for the plague-carrying varmints. Rather than throw themselves off a cliff like their wiser cousins, the lemmings, they moved onto my turf. "But they're hungry," friends say in defense of the beasties. And I know it. I feel their pain. I empathize with all of nature's creatures in this season of need. To be honest, I kind of enjoy having them around. Well, at least the bunnies. Still, a handful is one thing, a horde quite another. For the sake of my landscape -- and an aversion to contracting plague and hantavirus -- I must take action. You can, too: - Consider skipping any new plantings this year and dedicate your irrigation water to older species. If you must plant, recognize that the newcomers are a tantalizing target. Protect them with a ring of chicken wire, firmly staked to the soil. In a normal year, rabbits will avoid some plants in favor of their favorites. But this year, it seems like anything goes into their bellies -- even cactus. Don't be surprised if a famished bunny outwits your chicken wire in order to chow down.
- Clean up the debris, including woodpiles, that provide a haven for rodents. Wear a mask and gloves and douse it with a disinfectant spray.
- To deter rats from entering a planting bed, scatter mothball crystals around its perimeter. The smell will drive them away -- at least for a few days, until the smell dissipates.
- Invest in Tin Cats and Hav-A-Hart traps that will trap rodents without killing them. You can then release them somewhere else, but take care that you don't impose your problem on someone else. Also take care not to let the rodents bite you. Wear gloves and practice how to work the release mechanism before setting the trap.
- For lethal remedies, stick to snap traps and water buckets. Bait the snap traps with either Tootsie Rolls or Slim Jims for rats; mice go for cheese, peanut butter or oatmeal.
- Set a pail filled two-thirds with water next to a wall where you see rodent droppings. Seeking a drink, the animals will plop into the pail and be unable to clamber out.
- Poisons are sold for rodent control, but they are cruel and unreliable. The rodent may crawl into your ceiling or wall to die, leaving an awful stench. Even worse, a household pet could ingest the poison and die.
- Shrug it off. A few fat rabbits might be a nuisance, but they're nothing compared with a bear. Then again, the way things are going, a bear in the back yard could be a coming attraction.
(Kate Nelson is a master gardener in Albuquerque, N.M. Send e-mail to knelson@abqtrib.com.)
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