deanslights 11 Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Just took down my mega tree this weekend and found 4 new LED strings chewed through. I was hoping to get more than one year out of them. I use the base with a tree trunk/skirt method. Anyone else have this problem and how did you take care of it? Lazy cats are not earning their keep! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BaldEagleChristmas 24 Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 I don't have this problem, yet. Maybe put a short fence up around the tree. It probably won't be visible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cacoulter 1 Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Are you sure it is rabbits? We already have a couple of squirrel threads going. I would guess that a few of these ideas would work on rabbits too. By the way, do you like hasenpfeffer? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vkjohnson 7 Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Most definitely rabbits. All the squirrels I saw were too busy looking for nuts and none of my tree wraps were ever chewed, just lights on the ground. I had huge problems with rabbits for the first couple weeks of December, then they went away for some reason. It definitely wasn't the weather. My megas have the lights running on the ground back to the center. EVERY DAY for those couple weeks they would chew on the SAME strands and cut them right through. No other place on the display was effected nearly as much and I caught them sitting around there a time or two. Enough Critter Ridder (pepper pouder) and chasing them away finally got them to stop. I'd love to place chicken wire around the whole front yard, but I don't think that would look very nice. Maybe I'll just circle around the megas with it instead. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
deanslights 11 Posted January 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2012 I'll probably try some combination of chicken wire around the perimeter of the tree along with some Critter Ridder. If that doesn't work do you think a man in a red suit waving a shotgun around would detract from my display? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BaldEagleChristmas 24 Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 I'll probably try some combination of chicken wire around the perimeter of the tree along with some Critter Ridder. If that doesn't work do you think a man in a red suit waving a shotgun around would detract from my display? A shotgun is always effective, but only if you are willing to pull the trigger. Oh yeah, and be out there 24/7. Maybe better to go with the chicken wire. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Justin Smith 0 Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Chicken wire energized with an electric fence controller. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vkjohnson 7 Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Chicken wire energized with an electric fence controller. That would work unbelievably well, although a big liability too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jihans 26 Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 don't know if this worked or was just dumb luck but after rabbits chewed through the cords in my mega tree the after I set it up I put down moth balls. This kept them away for about 3 weeks. When I noticed them back I reloaded the area with fresh moth balls and no problems the rest of the season. since for me this only seems to happen inside the mega tree, I was also thinking about putting a fake owl in the tree next year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Odie 10 Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 I used the fake owl but it didn't seem to work very well. Then I hung alot of home made 18 inch round ornaments out of my trees on fishing line and the wind kept them moving a little. It worked, no varmits. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GordonLights 0 Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 During any given season we'll have at least a dozen or so rabbit/wire related incidents. This year in particular I think they sent out Spec-Ops rabbits, because they knew enough to chew through at the base of the bulb instead of between them so I could fix them. This year, about 2 weeks into the setup we tried something new that my neighbor recommended. It's called Rabbit-Scram. That stuff is awesome, but not cheap. While putting the stuff down three rabbits, that weren't even near me, popped out and took off. I didn't even know they were there. We're now stocked up on the stuff. Your mileage may vary. Fabian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vkjohnson 7 Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 During any given season we'll have at least a dozen or so rabbit/wire related incidents. This year in particular I think they sent out Spec-Ops rabbits, because they knew enough to chew through at the base of the bulb instead of between them so I could fix them. This year, about 2 weeks into the setup we tried something new that my neighbor recommended. It's called Rabbit-Scram. That stuff is awesome, but not cheap. While putting the stuff down three rabbits, that weren't even near me, popped out and took off. I didn't even know they were there. We're now stocked up on the stuff. Your mileage may vary. Fabian My rabbits would do the same thing. Right next to the darn bulb. The Critter Ridder I used is probably similar to the Rabbit Scram. It's just very potent pepper granuals, and yes, pretty expensive. Problem was every time it rained it would wash it away and they'd be back to work knawing on the wires. I'm also thinking of nylon netting now. Not as visible as chicken wire and hopefully it wouldn't be worth their time to chew on something that thin. I am planning on adding many more lights to the ground next year, so I'm desparate to try things. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
deanslights 11 Posted January 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 don't know if this worked or was just dumb luck but after rabbits chewed through the cords in my mega tree the after I set it up I put down moth balls. This kept them away for about 3 weeks. When I noticed them back I reloaded the area with fresh moth balls and no problems the rest of the season. since for me this only seems to happen inside the mega tree, I was also thinking about putting a fake owl in the tree next year. That reminds me of an old joke about moth balls, but I'll leave that alone for now! I had a bag of whole Tabasco and Habanero peppers that I sprinkled around my wireframes years ago that seemed to work. Maybe I'll try that along with the electrified chicken wire that Justin recommended. At least the rabbits would be seasoned. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cacoulter 1 Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 I was thinking about how you can keep the Critter Ridder and Rabbit Scram from washing away. I was thinking if you placed it in something like a cheese cloth sachet and then hung it under a covering. Maybe an upside down tin can. Maybe a 2lt bottle that was cut open for ventilation. Then I was thinking, if you cut the top off a 2lt bottle, that kinda looks like a bell. Decorate it, paint it, maybe put a C7/C9 inside it. Hang a few of them from the bottom ring of the tree. Rabbit Scram Scented tree ornaments (patent pending). That reminds me of an old joke about moth balls, but I'll leave that alone for now! I had a bag of whole Tabasco and Habanero peppers that I sprinkled around my wireframes years ago that seemed to work. Maybe I'll try that along with the electrified chicken wire that Justin recommended. At least the rabbits would be seasoned. While I like a good hot pepper, you may want to try this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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