Our record February snow fall has made finding food more difficult for small animals like rabbits. The snow covers up shrubs and can also act like a ladder allowing the bunnies to get to even higher parts of the plant. Rabbits recently trimmed about 8″ of height from my burning bush since the snow piles allowed them to get at the top, most tender growth.
Put on your tallest winter boots and take a quick lap around your yard to examine your shrubs and young trees for any damage. Further nibbling can easily be prevented with a hardware screen barrier placed around the entire shrub or tree. Shovel around the plant if needed to keep the rabbits from climbing over the screen as we get more snow. The screen may not look attractive in your front yard, but I guarantee you will be happy when you don’t have to severely trim or potentially replace damaged plants this spring.
