Battling Bunnies in the Garden
I hate to go all Elmer Fudd or Mr. McGregor on you, but I really do not like rabbits, especially in my garden. They can mow down a row of seedlings in a few hours, reproduce like mad, prune shrubs you want to grow, and drop pellets all over your garden. Battling bunnies is a major occupation during parts of the garden year.
Sure, other garden pests can be more destructive, as anyone who has dealt with persistent deer problems can attest, but in terms of numbers, rabbits top gardeners’ most-irritating list.
What to do? Here are a few suggestions for battling bunnies, based on hard-won experience and a bit of research.
Fences. The bottom line is, if you want to keep rabbits and other critters out of your garden, build a fence. This works especially well on dedicated vegetable gardens. University of Minnesota extension recommends a fence that is 18 to 24 inches high and made out of 1-inch mesh chicken wire. Some experts recommend two layers of wire to make the fence extra difficult to squeeze through. To prevent rabbits from burrowing under the fence, you may want to bury it about 6 inches under ground.
Smells. Rabbits don’t like the smell of predators or death. That’s why many gardeners swear by everything from sprinklings of human or animal hair (get it from your hairdresser or animal groomer) to human urine (easier to for men and gardeners with fences to apply). Many commercial repellents are infused with the scent of fox urine. Another solution is blood meal, dried powdered blood that is sometimes used as a fertilizer. Some individuals also swear by strong tasting substances, such as hot peppers or Tabasco sauce, as a deterrent. The problem with smell- and taste-related solutions is that they dissipate after rain, so they often need to be reapplied.
Plant deterrents. Onions, garlic, marigolds, lavender, catnip-many plants are credited with being deterrents to rabbits. What they all have in common is a strong scent. Garden blogger and author Shawna Coronado swears by a combination of ‘Taishon’ marigolds and spicy globe basil. Both are high-scent plants that are pretty in the garden, too.
An alternate buffet. Author Tammi Hartung recommends planting “decoy plants” to keep critters out of your garden. I tried this using parsley as an edging plant in my ornamental beds to keep the bunnies out of the vegetable garden. I’m not sure how well the parsley attracted rabbits from the vegetable garden, but I did discover that parsley makes a great edging plant.
Predators. Last year, we were fortunate to have a fox living near our house. The bunny population took a nose-dive. The fox must have moved on, because the bunnies are out in force again. Obviously, wild animals are not a solution you can rely on or even should encourage, but letting the dog out, if you have a fenced-in yard might scatter the bunnies and at least make them a little nervous about taking up residence in your garden.
What are your favorite ways to deter rabbits?
A great resource for gardeners with critter problems is Deer Resistant Landscaping: Proven Advice for Outwitting Deer and 20 Other Pesky Mammals by Neil Soderstrom.
The marigold theory did not work for me. This year, planted 2 flats & diligently watched when I noticed many stems where the buds were bitten off. In spite of sprinkling red pepper flakes directly on the plants twice a week, a couple nights ago I peeked out my window at midnight & 2 rabbits were munching away. Since then I’ve applied pepper twice & this morning, the few plants that had blooms are now bare. Suggestions?
I feel your pain! Rabbits mowed down about 20 marigolds that I planted in a front garden bed midsummer to add some color. It looks so bad, I’m taking them out. Fencing is the only sure-fire way to keep them out. A teenager with a BB gun may also help. 😉 Good luck!
We bought Rabbit fence, didnt help, we watch a little rabbit go right through it!
Someone suggests an animal…a dog to get rid of rabbits….perhaps the small yappy ones may work.
We have a German Shepherd….he loves lying in the sun, watching the bunnies much away……no help what so ever. So make sure you get a guard dog.HA!HA,!
They love my marigolds but the marigolds help control the aphids on my milkweed in my butterfly garden so I don’t care. I will provide enough for the rabbits to snack on.
Has anyone had success with a spray that includes egg whites or other foods they hate? I was desperate this spring after every last pansy and phlox flower was eaten, so I bought a spray called Safer (non-chemical) and it appears to be working. Of course, I’ve got to respray after every rain.
I have found domestic rabbit poop to work really well. The down side is 1. It is hard to find unless you know a breeder. 2. Every plant and in my case solar light cord needs to be surrounded and 3. Poop needs to be replaced frequently. I too am looking for a better solution .
Home depot told me to spray Ammonia and the smell will keep them away.
That is the next step for me.
Im going in with Ammonia! Will let you know! Phlox, coneflowers, cornflower all chewed beyond recognition. I watched intently as three generations went after Elephant Ears, Daisies and Liatris! I’ve been invaded in my little backyard.
The rabbits chewed e Rey o e of my marigold plants to the lady stem!!!along with my purple cone fliers and Lillie’s! My local garden store Recommended “ Organic Insect Control by Espoma. I sprinkled the pellets around the order of plants. Lasted 10 days ( was pricey) I also keep a spray bottle filled with water – if I see them in my garden I give them a spray they run off but I suspect they are back at midnight.
I am going to fencing after trying numerous liquid and pant deterrents that failed.
Coyote urine sprinkled your yard perimeter. Your local feed store should have it granulated in containers.
Needs to be replaced after rain. It is smelly but should work.
I have over 1,000 tulips and have “tucked” my tulip leaves each spring with human hair I get from salons. This has worked to deter rabbits for over twenty years. Tuck the hair deep into the curled leaves so wind and rain doesn’t dislodge the hair.
I have rabbits as pets. Rabbits never give up. Also many of the herbs listed are favorite treats many bunny owners feed to rabbits. I grow calendula & lavender as daily treats for my rabbits.
Hi. We also have a serious rabbit problem. We initially purchased a green vinyl fence that was supposed to be rabbit resistant. Hah! Maybe for a day! They chewed through multiple areas to have easy entrances and exits. I had started my large pollinator garden a year and a half ago, and have found rabbits like the majority of the plants, from phlox, to eccynacea, to black eyed susans, to so very many that I lost count (but they haven’t touched any of the beebalm). I desperately want all the plants to establish for a few years, and later the rabbits can enjoy them when they spread. So, for now, I purchased hardware clothe 2 feet wide x 1/2″ squares. My husband and I cut it with wire cutters and made 12″ high with a diameter of around 12-18 inches round cages around each valued plant that we have seen the rabbits munch on. Its been almost a month and the rabbits have not dug under the cages or attempted to reach from above since the tops are jagged wire. The only problem is that these cages are not very sightly but as the plants grow, less of the cages is visible. Have not decided yet if we will leave the cages up for next spring, but thinking we will so the rabbits don’t devour the early plantings again. So far so good. I bet that a fence of this hardware cloth could be perfect around the perimeter of the garden as well. Hope this post helped 🙂