How to Keep Rabbits out of Garden

[donworden]

Well, I am not an advocate for the destruction of the critter populations in my neighborhood... While we are in a very populated area, there is a plethora of critters, racoons, rabbits, squirels, ground hogs, skunks, deer to name a few. The wife and I have 2 dogs... One is an austrailian cattle dog, and the other is a jug (Jack Russel, Pug mix). The cattle dog (Pita) is the squirrel / deer removal device, no she doesnt catch them... The Jug (Sasha) is a wabbit getter and ground dweller removal dog.. I watched her bothering a trapped rabbit in the middle of my garden, and eventually it got chased out thru a crack in the chain link fence and our house. We have never allowed our animals to destroy another animal, nor will we. However we also do appreciate the fact that our back yard is critter free. And yes on numerous occaisions I have witnessed both bucks and does running down our very populated street. I also want to point out that Sasha is actually Pita's pet.

[BP]

Fence or rifle.

[Kisal]

I also want to point out that Sasha is actually Pita's pet.

I like this!

[TheWaterbug]

If you can get some four foot wide 1" mesh chicken wire to put around your garden then bend a foot of it to 90° and put that portion on the ground, the rabbits will not get in. They won't dig under because of the part on the ground. They always try to dig right at the fence, and if that ground is covered by the net, they give up. They can't think to start digging a foot back.

Shhh!!!!! What if they read your post?!?!?!

But seriously, I had major squirrel problems last year, and barriers were the only thing that worked. I tried all kinds of deterrents, including dried blood and insanely expensive coyote urine, and they were less than useless.

Rabbits can chew through plastic chicken wire? That's scary. I hate the metal stuff, but if that's all that works, use it.

[gixxerific]

I was re reading this thread just now.

Jun 2009 in this thread I posted the rabbits were tearing up my Sweet potatoes well guess what they area at it again.

I have since that posting put up a fence around my main garden but not my secondary garden where my sweets are this year. So I just threw some Agribon over them they are doing well now. But they did a lot of damage in only a few day's after they found them. Which happened to be a few day's after I planted them.

[Zorro35]

I wonder if the used kitty litter would make my dogs more crazy about the rabbit than they already are. I have two dogs who are always looking for the rabbits. The dogs are fenced into the back yard which does not seem to stop the rabbits from visiting there regularly. The big problem today is the rabbits are eating my asters leaves. My vegetable garden so far has not been attacked by the bunnies, it is fenced. The foxes that used to live across the street by the lake appeared to have moved on and the rabbits moved in. The only good thing so far is that a large hawk ate one of the rabbits a couple of days ago for dinner in our front yard. (We have pictures) Have not been able to contact Mr. Hawk to come back and take the other 4 rabbits terrorizing our street anyone got Rabbit Mines?

[johnny123]

Wow!!! 4 pages.
Buy the time I read all these replies the fence could of been put up. LOL

[jennydevon]

If you can afford it go for an electric fence but if not, reuse old mosquito screens or poultry mesh and surround each plant in a cylindrical shape. It also help to grow other plants such as alfafa and clover that rabbits love but plant them far away from your prized ones. Rabbits are well known breeders and can be a regional problem so I would speak to nearby residents to see if it is a regional problem.

[infinitijeff]

When you were talking about your using a sprayer, Is he peeing in the bottle? Like you, I can mark any place my heart and my bladder desires.

[Zorro35]

My neighbor just told me that she found 2 bunnies in her window well - I have an idea - I am going to put a trash can in my window well and cover it with newspaper and put a piece of lettuce on top and hope the bunnies will go for the lettuce and fall into the trash can. I am not aware that bunnies can jump very high. I will let you know if it works - bunnies soup anyone!

[dave103069]

This is what I use and it seems to work for me for most critters, deer, rabits, squirls, chimpmuncks & bugs..

I use fresh items

Get a one gallon jug to make the mixture - then you will need a spray bottle to apply

Habenero peppers cut open - about 5 or 6 - you can use other peppers
Garlic - about 10 cloves just smashed a little
Egg Shells - about 5 or 6 eggs worth
Fill the rest of the jug with HOT water but leave a liitle room for last item
Dish Soap - about a cup worth - I use plain green palmolive
Leave outside for a couple days to ferment
Then pour the liquid only into a spray bottle and spray on plants at night

Seems to work for me on keeping things away...

I have about 55 pots with various items, tomatoes, hot peppers, derby beans, squash, ect. I also suround all my plants with the hot pepper plants just in case.

[infinitijeff]

One heck of a recipe. I wouldn't eat it either.

[kyhwy]

go to a sporting goods and get some fox urin that is used as a cover sent for deer hunting, put a few drops in different places around your garden. the fox is natural predator of rabbits.

[Georgene]

I tried live-trapping the rabbits in my yard and relocating them, but I still had problems. There were simply too many rabbits and I ending up building a chicken wire fence to protect the garden. The fence of course works, but is pretty ugly. I would love to find a fence that looks better. Does anyone have a suggestion for a better fence?

[ruggr10]

I lucked out and there is a female fox who lives behind my property. Thanks to her, I've never even seen a rabbit around my yard.

[TheWaterbug]

I lucked out and there is a female fox who lives behind my property. Thanks to her, I've never even seen a rabbit around my yard.

That would be awesome. I need to "adopt" a predator that will eat squirrels and gophers, but that's too small to threaten either my cat when she (infrequently) escapes from the house or the super-friendly feral cat that lives next door, but who doesn't seem to want to eat my rodents.

[Kisal]

I tried live-trapping the rabbits in my yard and relocating them, but I still had problems. There were simply too many rabbits and I ending up building a chicken wire fence to protect the garden. The fence of course works, but is pretty ugly. I would love to find a fence that looks better. Does anyone have a suggestion for a better fence?

You can use any kind of fencing, even a picket fence, as long as the spaces aren't large enough for the rabbits to get through.

Whatever you use, just attach some wire to the bottom 12 or 18 inches of the fencing and bend it so it lays flat on the ground on the outside of your garden fence. Digging animals, like rabbits and many rodents, will dig at the bend in the wire, where it's attached to your other fencing. They just don't have the brainpower to dig at the free edge of the wire.

I prefer to use welded wire rather than hardware cloth or chicken wire, because rabbits and rodents can chomp right through lightweight wire with those wonderful incisors they're blessed with.

[Tat2doc]

Here is a trick that I found works very well. It's actually a combination approach. Both parts use the sensitive sense of smell of the rabbit. First, mix some Rosemary and Mint in with your vegetable garden or around the perimeter. Second, pour "sudsy ammonia" around the outside of the garden (the ammonia scent is a convenient substitute for fox urine and a trick that I actually found when looking for a way to drive away groundhogs). If you can't find sudsy ammonia where you live, just mix about 2 cups of ammonia into about a cup of water (always pour ammonia into water and not the other way around), then add about 2 ounces of dishwashing or laundry deterrent to mixture. Mix this solution outside or in we'll ventilated area and do not lean over bottle when mixing. In fact, it's not a bad idea to wear goggles to protect your eyes from fumes and wear rubber gloves when mixing to protect hands from splashing. Pour this solution on ground around the garden periodically depending on rainfall and you'll be pleased with the results. Happy gardening!

[JayPoc]

The lady across the street maintains a herd of about 10 (more, probably...hard to count) feral cats. I haven't seen a bunny in years...

[valley]

I'm thinking of hiring a cats, an outside cats. In the mountains we have mice and other rodents. Lower we have mice, kangaroo rats and rabbits.

[mattie g]

The lady across the street maintains a herd of about 10 (more, probably...hard to count) feral cats. I haven't seen a bunny in years...

We have a good number of foxes in our neighborhood and the woods surrounding it, and we also have a few outdoor cats around. I've seen one rabbit in this neighborhood in four years of being here.

Now, if only they could take care of the squirrels that get into my peach tree...

[HamptonsGarden]

What's best way to trap rabbit safely so I can transport to the wild?

[LeafyGreenSteve]

Greetings folks, first time posting. One option I didn't see mentioned here was motion activated sprinklers. Example: https://amzn.to/1seRfNV . I've purchased one and haven't had rabbit problems since, or dog, cat, raccoon, etc... It's really a good solution compared to some of the attempts I've seen, maybe it can help someone.

[valley]

Or a trap, there are traps you can make with instructions on the net, door closes behind them when they activate the trigger by eating the bate.

[Gary350]

The easiest why to keep unwanted animals out of the garden is, get a CAT.

[valley]

Hi, Chicken wire a couple feet tall keeps rabbits out here, but it won't stop squirrels out, If you get a BB Gun that can end the problem.

Richard

[BonnieB]

The rabbits in my neighborhood are very used to people even to dogs. I have two dogs & the rabbits will run off but be back as soon they come in, they even have their young ones in my fenced in backyard.
So I guess I'm going to try some of the home remedies, I'm trying red pepper flakes now. Human hair and dog hair has not worked. So I'll see how this works. I also heard to use vinegar or ammonia, that will be next.

[windandvane]

I have had rabbit and squirrel issues several times in my veggie patch, and sometimes found that a decoy cat (I think any will do, but the more realistic the better imo, aka choose a realistically painted one vs. a concrete unpainted type etc.) helps a lot. I did find though that I needed several, placed every 4 yards or so throughout the garden.

[HoneyBerry]

Most of my concrete statues are of rabbits. I guess I could put little fox masks on them. You gessed it. I love rabbits. There aren't very many in my neighborhood, just a few cottontails. I see only one or two per year, very early in the morning. I saw a baby cottontail behind my shed once. It was so tiny and cute. Very good runners, those little creatures.

[imafan26]

I am glad I don't have rabbits, gophers,snakes, moles, cayotes, skunks, raccoon or any of the other critters you contend with.
My cats are indoor cats and only one of them knows how to hunt. Hunting is not all instinct, it is a learned behavior.
I do have mice but we have terms for co-existence, they don't eat slug bait or dog food, I don't put out rat bait. I do have a lot of anoles. The anoles have pretty much wiped out the geckos around here and skinks. They are part of the garden patrol and eat bugs, beetles, termites and earthworms. The biggest pest I have is the neighbor's dog that digs under my fence and poops in my yard. I would like to make dog adobo with that thing. I have accidentally imported greenhouse frogs from plants I brought home, but they do eat ants and except for the fright factor they are not that bad. Spiders are welcome as long as they don't spin webs across my path. I plant to attract beneficial insects so I do have bees, lady bugs and other members of the garden patrol. I did get a cabbage butterfly this year, but usually I don't. I know there are mongoose a couple of miles away but they are content to stay out of my yard so I am fine with that.

[jal_ut]

How about some rabbit stew?

[Bartolomeo Gandolfi]

Good rabbit stew, shame that we are too far away, I would have come to taste.

[jal_ut]

Conibear 220, 12 gauge shot gun, good stout pellet gun? Maybe a little rabbit stew?

As a youth Dad farmed for a living. What we grew was what we ate. If there was a problem, it was simply, eliminate the problem. Whatever it took, just go do it.

[voot]

I have a wonderful thriving vegetable garden. I have found the secret to keeping out rabbits, squirrels and even snakes. Just put bird netting around the perimeter fence, making sure to lay it out in bunches across the ground. I have had this now for 2 years without any trouble from critters. I did however have to free a gopher snake that got tangled in it.

[Gary350]

Build a rabbit trap. When I was young and full of energy we use to dig a ditch 2 ft wide 3 ft deep with perfect straight parallel sides 50 ft long in a field. After dark rabbits come hopping along and hop right into the ditch and can not get out. We had rabbit for dinner.

Dig a 2 ft wide 3 ft deep ditch around your garden.

Almost forgot to mention the ditch catches, toads, snakes, rabbits, mice, turtles, anything small that crawls, hops or walks.

[jal_ut]

"Dig a 2 ft wide 3 ft deep ditch around your garden."

You are joking of course?

[HoneyBerry]

I think I'm the weirdo in this group. I love it when rabbits come to my yard. I love rabbits. They are sweet animals.

[Gary350]

I have rabbits, birds, squirrels, toads, moles and sometimes turtles. I saw 1 squirrel today I hope my cat does not kill it. I like the animals there is enough food in my garden for everyone except the 7 deer I often see at sun rise, they eat too much. I don't have enough boards left or the time or energy to put up another deer fence this year. I need to put up some squirrel nesting boxes.

[MasterGardener2B]

Thanks everybody for suggestions. We live in city but still get quite a few rabbits I joke with my wife that next time I see rabbit in garden we having rabbit stew. Yummy. But seriously I tried different things but have read some great new ideas here.

[imafan26]

I guess I am glad I don't have to deal with a lot of wildlife. I don't have rabbits, voles, moles, chipmunks, foxes, coyotes, or deer. I don't have mongoose, at least not in my yard. I haven't had to deal with feral chickens in a while (knocking on wood).

My biggest problems are birds, mainly non native birds, that were released or escaped as pets and are now pests. Bulbuls, mejiro, society finches, java rice birds, cardinals ( two kinds ), doves, and while I have not had any problems from the rose ringed parakeet, they are also in the neighborhood. They wreak havoc because except for cats, they don't have any real predators to control their populations.

I do have cats, but they are indoor cats. There is a feral cat that comes through my yard that is helping to keep the birds at bay. I do agree that cats are both predator and prey. They do wreak havoc on native birds here as well since Hawaii had few predators and the Hawaiian birds nest on the ground. There aren't that many native birds in the urban environment.

Other aliens species like wild pigs, mongoose, and competition from non native bird and alien plants are a threat to the native flora and fauna. DLNR, uses fences, and volunteers regularly go into the forests to weed out invasive plants that out compete natives.

The Maui fire was partly related to the prolonged drought and the end of the plantation era with the empty fields now covered in non native grasses that no one manages. The fire in Mililani was also partly drought driven and may also have been caused by human carelessness.