How long should I keep rabbit screens up?

[l008com]

I'm trying to grow some skyscraper sunflowers. But rabbits keep getting to them. I put some screens around them but they still get them, so I'm going to cut up some taller ones.

So here's my question, at what point (in sunflower height) can I remove the screens and move them somewhere else to grow some more? They're rabbits not beavers. At some point, the sunflower stalk won't look like food anymore, right?

The rabbits in MA are out of control, they are such a hassle.

 

[Anniekay]

Ah Woburn, or as we say it Woobin, I lived in Burlington a long time ago. Born in Waltham. Try tree wraps instead of screens. Supposedly they can't chew through those and they come 3' high.

Yes we have lots of rabbits there. When I was a kid, back in the 50's, we had a family of Jack rabbits living in the woods behind our house. Those you'd need a much higher fence for .

 

[l008com]

When I was a kid, rabbits were extremely rare to see. Now they are everywhere, 24 hours a day. Its madness.

 

[Anniekay]

When I was a kid, rabbits were extremely rare to see. Now they are everywhere, 24 hours a day. Its madness.

I bet that's due to not having enough foxes. When I was a kid, ride a horse out onto the woods and you'll almost always see a gray fox. Decline of predators can cause an explosion in rabbit populations. People used to hunt them for dinner as well.

 

[l008com]

We have tons of coyotes in the suburbs these days. But they just can' tkeep up with the rabbits!

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Always a problem, they breed like ... rabbits?
I reckon Annie's idea of using tree wraps is probably your best solution, I can't see the rabbits stopping chewing the outside just because the sunflowers have grown a bit.