Rabbit Damage

[RobSutton]

I think there will lots of knock on effects of the recent cold spell on all sorts of different species and habitats. We're starting to see lots of damage being caused to trees by rabbits desperately short of food.







In certain parts of the woods around here a high proportion of the ash and some sycamore saplings (up to c.10cm in diameter) are being stripped of bark at snow level. Many of them are being totally ring barked and will die. It's likely that in some areas a whole 10 year cohort of regenerating saplings will be severely damaged perhaps opening areas that were beginning to become well colonised. I'm not quite sure what effect this will as ash tends to have an open canopy anyway but it will be interesting to see if there are any changes in the ground flora in subsequent years as a result of removing this canopy layer..

[Johnny Redgate]

I've noticed in my hedge plantings in previous years that crab apple seems to be singled out by rabbits.

Last winter's plantings, although unprotected, have not been badly attacked yet. I have not thought I've had much of rabbit problem here (1100 ft on the Welsh border) until this summer so I'm hoping that the cold weather knocks the population back again. The hedgerow restoration grant of £6/m does not anywhere near cover 2 lines of stock fencing, planting where necessary and pleaching/coppicing so I've saved money so far on rabbit guards without any problems. Time will tell if I've made an error. Hoping for a thaw soon.

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by Johnny Redgate

I've noticed in my hedge plantings in previous years that crab apple seems to be singled out by rabbits.

Last winter's plantings, although unprotected, have not been badly attacked yet. I have not thought I've had much of rabbit problem here (1100 ft on the Welsh border) until this summer so I'm hoping that the cold weather knocks the population back again. The hedgerow restoration grant of £6/m does not anywhere near cover 2 lines of stock fencing, planting where necessary and pleaching/coppicing so I've saved money so far on rabbit guards without any problems. Time will tell if I've made an error. Hoping for a thaw soon.

I hope you don't suffer too many problems. We're at 1250 feet and have had masses of rabbits for a couple of years now but it's only when we get prolonged snow lie that we notice severe debarking, rabbits low down on the stem and roe deer higher up. The Roe Deer are having to eat the Yew leaves as there is so little else for them.