It has been several months since I last blogged and I apologize to all my subs but life happened and I just didn't have time to write. I will try, to once again, update my blog at least weekly. Thank you for your understanding and hanging in there with me.
This summer I have been having a horrible time with rabbits and squirrels messing around in my vegetable garden. For some unknown reason, much to my dismay, the rabbits have been especially drawn to the red beet greens and the spinach. Nothing that I tried seemed to work. I put up a fence around my raised beds, only to have the critters either find a way through, under, or over the fencing. I tried several store bought commercial repellents, but I didn't like the thought of all the chemicals (which I couldn't even pronounce) being sprayed onto the food that I was going to eat.
I tried several different DIY rabbit repellents, but this one is the one that seems to be doing the best job: (Original Source Unknown)
What you will need:
1 gallon plastic container with cap ( a empty, well rinsed, milk container works fine)
1 gallon of water
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (the kind you get from the pizza delivery guy works excellent...I just add the whole package)
1 Tablespoon liquid dish soap
Spray bottle (optional)
What to do:
Put all ingredients into the plastic container. Put lid on and shake. Allow to sit in the sun for a day or two. Either spray or pour the solution onto the area that you are wanting to keep the critters out of. Since this is organic, it is said you can also spray it directly onto the plants. However, I haven't tried spraying it onto any vegetables that I will be eating such as leaf lettuce or tomatoes. Apply weekly for 2 -3 weeks or until the critters get the message that they don't want to come there anymore.
Warnings:
This stuff stinks until it completely dries which takes about an hour. So, if your neighbor is having an outdoor party, it might be wise to wait awhile before you spray this stuff.
Apply only during dry conditions or after each rainfall or heavy watering of that area.
Why this works:
Rabbits and squirrels hate the smell of garlic and the pepper flakes makes the plants taste nasty to them. Rabbits have a very keen sense of smell, so even after we humans can no longer smell it, the rabbits still do. The dish soap causes the solution to adhere to the plants rather than just being soaked into the ground.
Thanks for reading and visiting my blog. :-)
