Be Ready for Adult Rabbits Foraging for Food in the Winter

Most of us have seen rabbits in the wild, perhaps while we’re out for a walk in the countryside. However while they look cute, especially when you see baby rabbits, they’re not as welcome if you have them in your own garden.

Different times of the year bring different challenges with regard to rabbits. When November arrives we enter the time of the year when adult rabbits are prone to causing problems in gardens all over the country. Naturally you might be at greater risk if you live in the more rural parts of Scotland. However you might see rabbits in your garden wherever you live.

Finding food during the winter months can be a much bigger challenge for rabbits, and for obvious reasons. If you suddenly notice there is damage to the bark at the lower levels of one or more trees in your garden, the chances are good that rabbits will be to blame. This is particularly true when it snows and they don’t have access to any other potential food sources that are then covered by the white stuff. For rabbits, the bark is the only food that is available throughout the winter months. This means they can cause a lot of damage to the trees on your property.

Since Scotland tends to see more snow than England (especially as far as the south is concerned), rabbit problems can be more prevalent during the winter months. Locations in the Highlands, for example, are often in a rural setting and properties can be spread out with larger gardens and surrounding countryside. This means you could end up with significant damage if you do get snow lying on the ground from November through until February. Just imagine the damage that could be done throughout a four-month period if the rabbits get their way.

It’s easy to spot areas where the bark has been stripped from a tree. The best way to prevent it is to get some rabbit prevention fencing in place before they get a chance to do any damage. This is made from one-inch steel mesh that can be shaped and wrapped around each tree. All you need to do is put stakes into the ground to attach the mesh to. Ideally the mesh should be sunk into the ground by a few inches to stop the rabbits from getting underneath it. Do this now and you could protect your trees throughout the coming winter.