Banana Peels.

Back in the nineties, I had a leucistic pet groundhog named Frosty Francis. His favorite food by far was bananas. He would eat a banana, peel and all in less than 2 minutes and would eat just the peels too. Banana peels became my favorite groundhog bait. I've never had a banana peel fail to catch a groundhog when placed in a trap near an active den, except when an opossum or raccoon got trapped first.

With just of the two of us, it may take up to 2 weeks to fill up the kitchen trash can, which used to lead to fruit flies getting in the trash, if we put banana peels or other fruit and vegetable scraps in the trash. We started throwing out all the fruit and vegetable waste, along with egg shells on the garden. The banana peels would quickly vanish. I did shoot 1 groundhog eating one, but figured most were being taken by raccoons or opossums. When I noticed, I was always somewhat surprised when the peels vanished in very cold weather, which typically keeps opossums and raccoons in their dens.

Yesterday, at around 3:00pm, I threw a banana peel on the garden. About 15 minutes later I looked out the window and saw a cottontail rabbit hopping through the brush carrying the entire peel. I went outside and the rabbit dropped the peel, grabbed it again and ran off with it. I was surprised. The rabbit must of really wanted that peel or it would not have retrieved it when frightened.

I'm thinking now that many of the banana peels we toss out might be getting eaten by rabbits. It would explain why they still disappear in very cold weather.

We have a little snow tonight. I just put a peel in an area i will be able to clearly see tracks in.

Has anyone else observed rabbits eating banana peels or used them as bait to catch rabbits?

Keith

I always was too worried I'd catch incidental monkeys.

LOL

I'm just hung up on 2 weeks to fill up the trash can. There's only 2 of us as well and we're lucky if we make it 2 days!

Not for rabbits but I'm with you on the wood chuck bait. Not just the peel but I've baited with the whole banana too

thanks just learn something

Literally lol you funny when you’re wife is out of town.

Keith, you must be a mind reader...I've been trying to figure what animal would eat banana peels I throw out in our tiny garden...must be the squirrels and rabbits here. Thanks.

Great thread, Keith C. Always interesting to see what animal eats our waste.

What? You remove the peel before eating? Their like potato skins, where all the nutrients are.

There's a lot of money to be made on invasive, non-natives, especially in the pet trade. Monkeys are gross and carry to many diseases that are transmissible to humans for me to want to handle them, so I don't want to deal with any incidental monkey catch either.

Keith

I do remove the peel first. The stickers on the peel are a choking hazard.

Keith

The peel from last night is still there, untouched.

Keith

Most of the food we eat is either in mason jars or frozen in plastic containers or bags, so there's little food packaging waste.

Keith

I'm to cheap and like bananas to much to use the whole fruit for bait.

Keith

Yes and yes, you should go ahead and do it. No, not that, the other thing. Yes, it will work.

You're welcome.

Keith

I wonder if there is a nutrient that really attracts rodents to the peels? When are bananas get like pudding, I put the whole thing in a blender with milk, protein powder, and ice for a snack.

How did you find that out?

Mmmmmmmmmm, yuck! Lol

Savell told me, but admittedly, it may be true more for people of his diminutive size.

Keith

Don't know about the protein powder, but add chocolate...... yummy; ice is optional.

I tried putting Bananas in my Mash when getting a Batch ready to run and it did not come out with any Banana flavor at all. But season it with some Oak shavings or let the shine soak in an Oak Barrel and it definitely gets the Oak Flavor.