Seeing one rabbit in your yard is usually just the tip of the iceberg. In most cases, where there is one, there are many, many more. Even just one rabbit can be the difference between a perfectly pruned garden overflowing with vegetables and a garden that is in shreds featuring vegetables with a few too many bites out of them. Worse than frost or strong winds, those unassuming bunnies can mow down an entire row of beans in one night – and they just keep coming back! Plus, your plants aren’t the only thing to worry about. These little fluffy-tailed critters will tear the bark right off your trees.
To say a rabbit’s appetite is voracious is a bit of an understatement, and their tastes are less than discerning. Nothing is safe from a rabbit’s destruction. From shoots and grasses to roots and berries…if it’s present and within reach, the rabbits will usually eat it. How many times have you put time and effort into creating a garden only to have rabbits reap the rewards? Our guess – it’s been a few too many. At times, you may question why you should bother planting a garden at all. But don’t be discouraged just yet! We have some ideas to help keep rabbits out of your yard and away from your garden next season.
6 Simple Tricks to Keep Rabbits Out of Your Yard and Garden
If you’re constantly asking yourself how to keep rabbits away as you take stock of the destruction they’ve done to your plants, you’re probably in the same boat most gardeners are. And the information available on the topic can be confusing at best. Some people say planting soybeans will repel rabbits, while others say soybeans attract them. Others recommend spraying a “tea” made from cow manure and water…yuck! So where to start?
- Clean up your yard and garden: Rabbits will typically only choose dining areas that offer good cover. To eliminate the rabbit-friendly conditions, keep your landscape weeded, trimmed and clear of brush piles. High grass should also be mowed. Additionally, you can block access underneath porches with chicken wire.
- Apply scent and taste deterrents: Use a rabbit repellent on the areas of your yard where you see damage as well as areas that offer good rabbit cover. Repelling stations and sprays affect rabbits’ taste and sense of smell to drive them away.
- Install an electronic repellent: To protect large areas of your property humanely, try an electronic repellent. Motion-activated deterrents use bursts of water to startle rabbits and condition them to stay away.
- Use tree guards: To protect your trees from rabbit destruction during the winter months, try covering them with tree guards. Simply wrap the lowest portion of the tree trunk up to 2 feet above the height of the deepest snow expected.
- Plant marigolds and garlic: Long-trusted home remedies, these two plants have been known to deter rabbits when grown in a garden.
- Put up a fence: While not always an attractive method, a fence is effective – especially when you have a dense rabbit population. A 2 to 3 ft fence made of mesh or chicken wire placed around the perimeter can help rabbit-proof your garden.
Rabbits in Your Yard
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