Will Rabbits Eat Hops?

I've got my hops started indoors and will likely transplant outdoors this weekend.

My neighborhood is crawlin' with rabbits. Will these buggers munch on my hops? I've tasted the leaves and they're not bitter, but rather a bit sweet like parsley.

 

I've seen rabbits in my yard over the past few days and they've left them alone.

 

Thanks. Hopefully my award-winning lawn will be a much more appealing buffet for them.

 

I've read that hops are toxic to some animals. It's recommended not to leave them in your yard if you have dogs or cats. I think they would be more inclined to eat spent hops that are still soaked with sweet wort.

 

I haven't had rabbit problems, but the squirrels tried to dig them up after I planted the rhizomes. They didn't get them and haven't bothered them since they broke earth.

Good question on pets though. Is the plant the hop cone, of the acids the danger. God willing I won't see my vet for a couple of months. I'll ask then.

Barry

 

I have rabbits build a hutch nearly every year in my backyard. Our neighborhood is full of the little hoppers. So far, they haven't bothered my hop plants.

When I plant rhizomes, I spray some rabbit repellent around the perimeter of the plant. Stuff smells awful, but it works!

 

I made some rabbit repellent last week. It works. Take 2 eggs and scramble them up add 1 qt of water, 1 tsp hot sauce is optional. Put this in a spray bottle, shake, and spray your plants. It won't harm them.

 

I've read this also, but i don't think its the hop plants that are toxic to them, i think its just the flowers ie the stuff we use. My dogs munched one of my young plants and it didn't fizz on them at all (p*ssed me off no end though )

 

I have cats, dogs and chickens and no problems at all. You should see the chickens on brew day they go nuts because they know they get the spent grains!

 

What do they do, gather around the brew pot? I bet that would make for a funny sight!

 

Probably have a chicken prison riot if he gave the grains away instead.

 

Until I fixed the hole in my fence the bunnies were mowing down my sorrel plants which are planted in the same bed as my hops. They didn't touch the hops though - maybe they were full of sorrel by then.

 

Like humans, not all bunny's like a bitter..plant. Just keep an eye out for the twill hat wearing, pipe smoking, philosphy reading, bunny. That's the one that will eat your hops.

 

Thanks for all the replies, folks!

 

I live in the country so a 22 works great as a repelent for rabbits at my farm...
At least I have never seen the same one return twice.

 

As a bunny owner, I can attest that the rabbits are leaving the hops alone because they are toxic to the little buggers. Strange though, "hops" seems almost fitting....

 

I wish I could shoot the lil pricks here in the 'burbs. They ate my strawberries & the whole damn garden with those friggin' Starlings. I get as many as 6 at a time frolicking in the back yard. Pit BBQ'd bunny...hm...

 

Get an air rifle. And if one of your neighbors complains to you, claim that he attacked and you had no choice but to defend yourself and your family.

 

Well...actually... I have two pellet rifles in .177 caliber. An original Crossman 760 & the newer Air 15 version with speed loaders to go with. Now if I could get some of those German conical pellets...

 

During the three years I grew hops*, the rabbits around here (plentiful) never bothered them in any way. This Spring there are basically no rabbits in evidence, must have been a huge winterkill.....guess that makes sense, given the Winter we had.

*I tried growing four varieties. They grew OK when given what seemed to me to be an inordinate amount of water. I finally quit growing them for that reason, as we are on a well.

 

Holy necro thread Batman

 

Didn't pay attention to that right away...All these tasty critters around here & the burbs make it hard to ..."enjoy" them.

 

But honestly! I was attacked by a creature so foul, so cruel, that no man yet has fought with it... and lived! BONES of full fifty men lie *strewn* about its lair! So! Brave knights! If you do doubt your courage or your strength, come no further, for death awaits you all with nasty, big, pointy teeth...

 

Caught this 6 inch monster attacking my asparagus the other night.
Right next to my hops that he didn't touch.

Must get gun!!

 

Forget the gun. You need the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch

 

LOOK AT THE BONES!!!!!!



Well played Sir, well played.

 

In my home, we call this the holy hand grenade of antioch. Haven't had any on hand for a while and i'm sure the repellent listed above is more effective and cheaper.

 

My cats don't eat the hops. I have hops growing over my deck rail and one of the cats likes to sit on the rail in the middle of them. She also likes to sit under them.

The catnip plants my wife put in in front of the hops, OTOH, get destroyed by the cats.