Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Bunny Safe Garden Cilantro / Dill Pest Control Options…

Viewing 5 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • iTrauco
      Participant
      4 posts Send Private Message

        I found a bunny last summer that some had put out and she was near death and I ended up spending over 3k on her surgeries and medical care and she has fully recovered and is a joy to have in my life…

        I usually have a huge garden that I start in the early spring and would use Seven Dust on my plants for the occasional outbreak of pests, but I will not be able to do that this year because I am also growing her cilantro and dill in my garden, and I refuse to even risk introducing a toxic pesticide into her system.

        What options do I have for bunny-safe pest control of my plants? I want to have a solution ready to go for when the insects start eating my plants that were meant for her, no chemicals of any type are to be used in my garden this summer.

        I live in Georgia outside of Atlanta and would love any insight you can provide into effective bunny-safe pest control for things grown in my garden.

        There are wild rabbits where I live, and she has not been vaccinated for rabbit hemorrhagic fever yet, the moment her vet can get the vaccine in, which is apparently a really complicated process because they have to be imported from abroad and have it approved by Georgia’s Secretary of Agriculture or something that, she will be getting vaccinated, but that may be a few months at least.

        My vet put me in touch with a specialist from her veterinary school at Auburn University, and she did tell me that I can eliminate the risk of viral transmission from wild rabbits by thoroughly washing anything I intend to feed her with a really expensive antimicrobial like vegetable wash and then leaving the clipping in the refrigerator for 48 hours before feeding them to my bunny.

        So right now, my main concern is finding a way to keep insects from eating the hell out of everything in my garden without the use of chemicals…

        I would love any advice anyone can give me on this matter.


      • LBJ10
        Moderator
        16870 posts Send Private Message

          Has RHDV been detected in Georgia? I thought that was pretty far away from the outbreak areas, which are mostly in the west.

          What’s eating your cilantro and dill? Aphids? If it’s aphids, then you could buy some ladybugs or lacewings to eat them.


          • iTrauco
            Participant
            4 posts Send Private Message

              I am looking for a general all-around bunny-safe pest control option(s) to use throughout my garden, the cilantro and dill are still growing my greenhouse, I haven’t transplanted them just yet.

              I do not want to risk any type of chemical cross-contamination in my garden, and I have stuff online, but I can’t be 100% sure the techniques are bunny safe and my vet couldn’t really give me any advice on that matter.

              I just want my bunny vaccinated, there’s always the risk that a virus is endemic to any local wild species of an animal that has not yet been identified/confirmed by science.


            • iTrauco
              Participant
              4 posts Send Private Message

                I found a local for lady bugs in right town, thank you!

                 


              • LBJ10
                Moderator
                16870 posts Send Private Message

                  It’s good to be proactive. I know there are efforts to get an American-made vaccine, but it probably won’t be for some time.

                  The ladybugs sound promising, glad you were able to find some! For more of a “broad-spectrum” insecticide, I agree with the suggestions below for diatomaceous earth. That would probably be better than some of the other “safer” insecticides out on the market.


              • Bam
                Moderator
                16838 posts Send Private Message

                  Some pests like aphids can be dealt with with a few drops of dishwashing soap, a tablespoon or so of rubbing alcohol, plus a drop of vegetable oil in a liter of water. Use a spray bottle. For funghi, baking soda in water can have some effect. Slugs you pretty much have to remove manually.

                  I grow practically all greens and herbs in pallet collars, which makes it easier to build a “tent” around particularly pest-attracting greens like kale and other types of cabbage. I put long bamboo sticks in the corners of the pallet collars and hang a fine mesh net over the whole ting and secure the net around the pallet collar with a span strap. I use IKEA’s curtain LILL as netting, it lasts several years if you take it in in the fall and you can water your plants through it.

                   

                   


                • DanaNM
                  Moderator
                  8901 posts Send Private Message

                    That’s wonderful you rescued your bunny and put so much into her vet care. 🙂 What a lucky bun!

                    I’ve used diatomaceous earth (food grade) for ants and aphids, and it’s safe to use around buns (as long as they aren’t inhaling the dust). Not sure if it would work for what you are thinking, but for an outbreak of aphids people will dust it on the plants and it works well. Companion planting might also be something to look into, because certain herbs and flowers will help keep pests down. Also things like beneficial nematodes and other organic farming practices.

                    Also to the best of my knowledge, there isn’t any disinfectant that is safe to use on bunny veggies that would kill RHDV (this topic comes up regularly on the RHDV facebook groups). The HRS recommends washing thoroughly for 2 minutes, but the risk really isn’t known clearly from veggies. Growing them yourself and screening insects away is a good step, or growing things indoors if possible. The main sources of spread seem to be insects, scavenging animals, and movement of actual rabbits or rabbit fur/meat.


                    @LBJ10
                    the outbreak is spreading really rapidly currently (it just jumped up all the way to Montana), so I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes it to Georgia this year. But hopefully we have more time. I’m hoping they can get the domestically produced vaccine going soon, so we won’t have to go through the ordeal of importing and getting approval etc. It’s frustrating that they won’t let us get ahead of the outbreak by vaccinating BEFORE it gets to a state. Here’s the map if anyone’s curious: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?fbclid=IwAR27ZBZ1KjbXa-tuBa7QvoeVXPSWBSC3ECn2kYYAnEQpA4-4MnYAqWDvsyw&mid=1OPrtnwm1Bk-CmjW3pPCpzEw1sv2S_OPC&ll=39.06356966942758%2C-107.75364545&z=4

                     

                    . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  


                    • LBJ10
                      Moderator
                      16870 posts Send Private Message

                        I heard it had made it to Montana. Georgia is still a long way away. You think it will spread that fast? I hope not! I did notice a pin on the map in Florida though, but it appears to not be linked to wild rabbits in that case. Still… that’s scary.


                    • Bam
                      Moderator
                      16838 posts Send Private Message

                        I agree with Dana, the main routes of transfer seems to be via insects (mosquitos and ticks, but also common flies), contact with carcasses of infected animals, and contact with feces and urine from infected rabbits.

                        When RVHD2 was new here (I’m in Europe) and we didnt yet have a vaccine, I took care to only feed my buns leaves from trees (apple, pear willow, hazel, rowan, linden etc) and high shrubs (rose, hawthorn, sea buckthorn, etc). I also used mosquito netting around my bun’s outdoors run and in my house. I didn’t dare feed fresh grass or dandelion etc. because wild buns might very well have been there.  I fed hay that had been stored for at least 3 months.

                        It was a great relief when we finally got the vaccine. There have been many RVHD2 outbreaks in my area (we have plenty of wild rabbits and hares), but my buns have stayed safe. My next “door” allotment garden neighbour had 3 unvaccinated buns that all died in the course of three days, whereas my bun stayed perfectly fine. So I warmly recommend vaccination for RVHD2!

                         

                         


                      • BZOO
                        Participant
                        327 posts Send Private Message

                          I’ll second the homemade insecticidal soap.  But you have to apply it when you see the bugdy, usually in the evening.

                          As for slugs, leave out a pie plate filled with beer.

                      Viewing 5 reply threads
                      • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

                      Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Bunny Safe Garden Cilantro / Dill Pest Control Options…