Littlelarford's Blog

how about 'Radical Rabits' Bungee Jumping Society, you could always add an elastic band to the entrance of the hole for effect!

Have you counted the holes? How many have you got? it sounds as if you've got busy bunnies...:-)

Hi majeekahead - love all your suggestions and the elastic band idea - thanks so much.

Hi spritz, there are literally too many rabbit holes to count. We usually only name those along the pathway, otherwise we'd be spending all year thinking of names. We're just glad we've managed to keep them out of the garden, though we are having trouble with squirrels at the moment - they're more difficult to keep out and they've been raiding our pots planted with tulip bulbs. We've had to net the pots over to keep them out.

Rabbit numbers seem to have declined in our area, though, as mixi has affected them again. That reminds me, a someone gave us a good rabbit hole name today: Mix-up-me-toasties (snack bar). Another good one isn't it.

Not so sure about that one, clever though it is - I feel sorry for the poor rabbits who get ill....softie, aren't I! Now squirrels...different kettle of fish. We suffered from their tricks in Kent, they were always digging up my tubs and eating the birds' food. We don't really see any here, and if one does occasionally venture into the garden, the dog chases it out!

I agree spritz, it's a horrible death for rabbits - maybe we won't use that one, it is a bit insensitive. It's a shame someone can't come up with a more humane way of controlling them. The other day we had two buzzards in our paddock - they were feeding on the remains of the poor dead rabbits! We made enquiries recently concerning squirrel deterrents and were told that trapping was the only recommended course of action. Does anyone know of an alternative?

I think our local park are going to shoot them as there as so many.
I suggested they have an ox roast with squirrel stuffing

A friend managed to shoot 6 of our pesky squirrels on Saturday but that's just the tip of the iceberg I'm afraid. They really are a problem everywhere at the moment.

i have a couple of unwanted foxes if you want them to come sort out you squirrels! - tried everything to get rid of them but they keep coming back and looking through my patio door just to taunt me!

Maybe we should do a swap majeekahead but on second thoughts I wouldn't wish squirrels on you, they do so much damage. Do your foxes do any damage to your garden?

As my neighbour is keen to feed the birds in the garden, squirrels here make a beeline for her and don't bother me very much

oh yes loads, dig holes turf out pots, chew on my delicate shrubs and bulbs starting to come up, dig up the fence, i left the shed unlocked one night and they got in there and chewed up a pair of gardening gloves and my boyfriends trainer, made a lovely mess. and there doings is absolutely discusting and they do it everywhere. and they are so brave they stand in the middle of the garden looking at you. and if anything can be a bit scary, coz you do hear storys of them biting! i would'nt put poision down but i have tried just about everything else, i have a sonic deturant and the little buggers waited for the batteries to run out and then vandlised it! i do get the odd squrrel but they generally don't hang aound for too long - proberly because of yob foxes! lol - will quite gladly swap yobs for your squirrels!

You definitely need a dog. Ours sees off marauding interlopers like farm cats and odd straying rabbits and pheasants. He chases squirrels and barks at them when they seek refuge up a tree. He has not yet met a fox or a badger so I don't know what he'd do but I guess he'd chase them too, because he's guarding his territory.

Hi majeekahead. Poor you, I didn't realise foxes were so destructive. Sorry, but we had a laugh about "the buggers" vandalising the sonic deterrent when the batteries ran out! But seriously, they must be a real pain to live with.

thank spritz, did have a dog until about 2 months ago, unfortunately he was very ill and has now gone to the big bone tree in the sky - but yes he did sort out the squirrels and cats etc, but as for the foxes, well he was affraid of them, they actually did set about him one time - when he was in his prime! cost me a fortune in vet bills because foxes carry all sorts, and they can be nasty. and buddy was no wimp when he was well he was a very large jack/staff. so if you do get any foxes come into your garden keep your dog well away would be my advice.

yes littlelarford they are a real pain, we have a laugh about there antics all the time, think i need to get an ASBO served against them, or a spud gun or something! lol something else i have just recently discovered is a hedgehog living behind my daughters play house - does anyone know much about these? i thought that they eat slugs and snails, but some one said they can also be distructive, and i keep finding little holes in my newly dug beds, and i think lots of spring bulbs have gone missing. so the foxes may be getting blame for what the hedgehog has been doing. i think this is the aftermath of having an overgrown garden for years that has just been done this year, all the wildlife is coming back for the winter and there nests burrows ect has now been dug up! also found a toad a couple of frogs, and several mole hills! - just my luck!

and if you have seen the photos of my garden its not that big but i think i have all the wild beasties from miles around because it was a waist ground for years, the previous owner was an old lady who was unable to do very much out there so it got neglected. but where i live is far from country side we have a couple of parks nearby but i am on the edge of london, its a very built up area, so the amount of wildlife is really surprising!

Yes majeekahead, that's another thing we're plagued by - moles. We regularly call in Malcolm the Mole Exterminator and he catches quite a few but I think we're fighting a losing battle! I thought it was a case of putting all these critters down to living in the country, but obviously not if you get them in London too. It sounds as though they could film a whole series of "Autumn Watch" directly from your garden!

Just up the lane from us there live - - - the foxhounds!! We often see them with the hunt, it could be that foxes keep well away because they can't read and have not yet learnt that hunting is illegal... I do keep the Lab in when they are around, the whole pack all together look rather threatening, and I am not at all convinced that the huntsmen have them under control.
I am so sorry you've lost your dog, majeekahead, and if I upset you, please accept my apologies.

yes littlelarford was thinking of giving bill oddie a call to see if he fancies plotting up out there for a few weeks! lol i gues i have to look on the bright side, my two year old gets lots of pleasure watching and discovering all the beasties in our mini wildlife park!ahh spritz your so sweet, you have'nt upset me at all it was a sad situation but went on for a while so if anything now glad that he is no longer suffering. but thank you..... and back to the foxes - have you noticed just how many of those hounds they put after 1 fox! there is a very good reason for that, one or two of them would'nt stand a chance against a fox - even a small one - take it from me i have seen them in action! but they are proberly the reason that they don't bother you, especially as you also have a dog, lots of dog scents around would put them off i think, but just incase you do get a brave one trying his luck defo keep your lab well away if i were you.

The hunt does advertise in the local paper where they are meeting. That's a great help, because I can avoid that area when we are out for our daily walk I also know that:pet dogs have been chased and savaged by the hounds .I hate watching the poor foxes being chased, knowing what will happen to them, however badly they behave. There must be a more humane way of dealing with the problem! Yes, I know hunting is meant to be illegal, but they still ride out and still seem to find foxes... -( Now we are living in the country I have to keep quiet about my feelings!

oh i completely agree spritz, the foxes are a royal pain but i could'nt do anything to hurt them. after all they have as much right to be here as we do. - just wish they would loose interest in my garden! and i certainly do not agree with any kind of killing for pleasure or sport. best to avoid and deter i think. mind you if they ever tried to attack my daughter i might feel differently, i would be like a mad woman possessed - but they generally only come out at night and she is not out there then, and i always check for mess they leave before i let her out in the playhouse. its a pain but not the end of the world.

It was a beautiful morning, so I took the Lab up to the ridge overlooking the sea - blue sky, blue sea - Mendips one way, Quantocks to my left and Exmoor straight ahead! Heaven for us both! Sadly, there were hunting horns sounding down in the valley, horses galloping and hounds running, I could see a stag over in a newly-planted plantatation and was praying for its safety. Every time the hunt is out now, you see 4-wheel drives lurking on tracks with their drivers gazing through binoculars. You may have read that two huntsmen were prosecuted successfully for illegal hunting - well, they were local. I HOPE that the stag was safe and that any foxes were in hiding! No gunshots heard.

Have you ever thought of writing a book spritz? Your description of both your walk and the hunt show hidden talent.

Well, thank you for your kind comment! I did have thoughts about writing when I retired but have not done anything about it...Maybe one day,,,