How to Keep Rabbits From Eating Plants?

[nicholst55]

My housing area is overrun by cottontail rabbits since there are essentially no predators to control their numbers. My darling wife tries to grow small quantities of veggies that the rabbits find simply delicious. So, I'm looking for a legal means of thwarting them. We are within the city limits and have a pool in the back yard and neighbors on both sides, so a suppressed .22 is a No-Go. If I put a hole in the pool or it's plumbing, I would be living outdoors, eating the wife's veggies to stay alive!

Suggestions?

[farmbif]

pellet gun. if can't use that then cats and dogs are good option. most cats raised outside will eat rabbits all gone.
ive heard people say they hang stuff around garden and yard those dryer anti static aroma things os smelly soap like Irish SPRINGS. or 3 top 4 ' tall chicken fence around garden buried at least 6"

[jonp]

Air gun and fried rabbit.

They do make stuff to spray on plants that are a deterrent. That plus rabbit fencing would also do the trick. Our late Valley Bulldog Ralph was not a long distance runner but under 100yrds her 0-30mph while barking was frightening. She hated rabbits and Blue Herons flying over the house for some reason. Geese, ducks, crows didnt care. Heron she would chase halfway across the field.

[farmerjim]

Put a fence around the garden. Chicken wire has small enough holes to keep them out and is cheep.

[ddeck22]

Look for something like this fencing and use the t posts to hold it in place. The little rabbits can't fit through the bottom since the holes are smaller there:

https://www.amazon.com/YARDGARD-308376B-Garden-Rabbit-Fence/dp/B002LSYTZQ

It's pvc coated so no rusting and lasts forever.

[lavenatti]

I use liquid fence on the wife's flowers, works pretty good and seems to last for a couple of rains. It does smell bad and I'm not sure I'd spray it directly on anything I wanted to eat any time soon.
In my younger days I made a short electric fence for groundhogs and ran it off a microwave oven transformer. It's effective but I don't recommend it as the groundhogs would often be on fire when I came home.

[kerplode]

Most cities will frown on your use of a pellet gun as equally as a 22. Where I lived on the Front Range of CO, the city's law stated that it was illegal to "Discharge, or cause to be discharged, a projectile by any means." =>
22 = Jail
Pellet Gun = Jail
Slingshot = Jail
Bow and Arrow = Jail
Hand-thrown rock = Jail

Between all the cameras on everyone's houses these days and nosy busybodies working from home, you'll eventually have the cops called on you. Plus, rabbits are game animals in most jurisdictions so you would probably run afoul of the game wardens if you got caught.

Best bet in this circumstance, even though it's a pain in the butt, is probably fencing. Bend the bottom into an L shape and bury it 6-12 inches with the little leg facing out. They'll go to somebody else's yard. Then, eventually, some sickness will kill them all off and you'll get a few years before they start slowly coming back. At least that's what happened in my old neighborhood...

[NyFirefighter357]

sss

[Winger Ed.]

If you can't or won't trap or shoot them, the fence thing is about all you have left to pick from.

[barnabus]

air pellet thump to the noggin at night

[HWooldridge]

Put a fence around the garden. Chicken wire has small enough holes to keep them out and is cheep.

+1 - I put up T-posts and cattle panel then covered that with chicken wire. Keeps out deer and rabbits…

[rockrat]

Get some rat traps. Just like the old fashioned mouse traps, but a lot bigger. Bait with a chunk of carrot or lettuce or something.

[Geezer in NH]

JRT security................Jack Russel Terrier , ours however eats cherry tomatoes, snow peas and small cucumbers. She figures it is her pay.

[Buzz Krumhunger]

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?443651-Traditional-wooden-rabbit-traps

[375supermag]

Raised bed gardens...

[Bmi48219]

… I made a short electric fence for groundhogs and ran it off a microwave oven transformer. It's effective but I don't recommend it as the groundhogs would often be on fire when I came home.

Please tell us you hung the charred remains on posts as a warning to other groundhogs.

[varmintpopper]

My housing area is overrun by cottontail rabbits since there are essentially no predators to control their numbers. My darling wife tries to grow small quantities of veggies that the rabbits find simply delicious. So, I'm looking for a legal means of thwarting them. We are within the city limits and have a pool in the back yard and neighbors on both sides, so a suppressed .22 is a No-Go. If I put a hole in the pool or it's plumbing, I would be living outdoors, eating the wife's veggies to stay alive!

Suggestions?


If You live near a Zoo, Inquire if the Zoo sells or gives away "ZOO DO" and if You can acquire some just sprinkle it around the perimeter of the garden. Rabbits do not like to be around the smell of tigers, lions and such. They will leave Your garden alone !

Good Shooting

Lindy

[gc45]

my wife has a little dog called a King Charles and an absolute killer of rabbits..Since getting him I seldom see any in her garden or around the yard, live ones that is..I get to pick up the kills and through them out in the field for the eagles and crows..

[TyGuy]

You mention you have a pool. Some would say it’s cold blooded but a live trap and a pool makes for fairly quick kills with little to no mess… if you have a Hassenpfeffer recipe, all the better!

[MarkP]

I used to spray my daffodils and crocuses with water and sprinkle cyan pepper on them. Just becarful when windy I got some in my eyes.

[William Yanda]

I cannot speak to effectiveness, but last time I visited the Lowes garden section there was a red can with a rabbit on the label with a title about animal repellant. I did not check the price, but if it works, its probably cheaper than fence.

[bedbugbilly]

a pet coyote . . . .?

I have a friend who has battled bunnies for years with her garden and the only thing she has found that works is fencing . . . . if you don't want to shoot them, try live trapping and transplanting them miles away. A person has to decide if they are growing a garden for food . . . especially with the high prices and inflated prices of food . . . or are you growing it for the bunnies, deer and other critters. Our ancestors grew gardens for food to survive . . . if rabbits got into their garden, the vegetable soup would soon turn into "rabbit stew" . . . just sayin'

[GhostHawk]

Pee in a cup in your place, take it down and dribble it around the edges of your garden. Will have to be refreshed after heavy rains.

Won't stop it entirely, but should take it down to a livable level.

The other option is to grow in containers to tall for them to jump into.

[Froogal]

Put a fence around the garden. Chicken wire has small enough holes to keep them out and is cheep.

Yes. That is what I had to do, and then even added an electric fence to stop the rabbits from just digging under the fence. Determined little critters they are.

[contender1]

I had to laugh at some of the suggestions above. Some,, completely ignore the fact that the SSS method is NOT an option.

I'm a State certified Animal Damage Control Agent. I do this for a living.

Repellents,, a poor choice & a waste of money. NONE work very well,, if at all.

Fencing,, the best option, or as noted,, a raised bed to limit access.
Raised beds; I've seen several folks build raised beds that the actual garden bed was about waist level. Really good idea,, as you aren't bending over as much,, and easier to work,,PLUS it helps keep out unwanted critters.

Fencing.
As noted in one post above,, a "lip" or folded outward section is excellent. I recommend this idea. But,, I recommend a few differences.
The lip facing outward,, if possible,, bury it under 1"-3" of dirt. Also, make the lip AT LEAST 12" wide or more. Groundhogs are worse than rabbits and yes,, they too can & will invade a garden. I recommend at least a 18" wide lip, buried under a light layer of soil.
Next,, make the fence that is upright,, lean outwards, away from the garden. Many of the climbers can't climb upside down,, (raccoons excluded.)
Lastly,, a solar powdered electric fencing can be added to the outside of the fencing,, and it'll also work in conjunction with the outer lip of digging preventive fencing.

Dog or other critter poo-poo doesn't work. Urine doesn't work. Hair clippings don't work. Moth balls don't work. Commercial repellents do not work, (mostly,, but a few for deer have SOME merit.) And any of this stuff, has to be replenished often,, with poor effectiveness. The costs of such stuff can make small gardening very expensive.

Animals are already used to coyotes, or other predators. Urine, feces, or whatever is a daily part of their smells they run into. It tells the animal; "A coyote (or whatever) has been here,, be careful." Many folks have dogs,, and wild critters smell them and are just wary in their areas.

Overall, PROPER fencing is the best preventive,, least expensive option.

[Froogal]

I cannot speak to effectiveness, but last time I visited the Lowes garden section there was a red can with a rabbit on the label with a title about animal repellant. I did not check the price, but if it works, its probably cheaper than fence.

Same thing at the local farm and garden store. I bought it. It stinks, but apparently only to humans. Rabbits don't seem to even notice.

[Shawlerbrook]

Fence and air rifle. Good eating.

[DougGuy]

Google for "sonic stake for rabbits" or "ultrasonic rabbit repellent" and view the choices.

I had one raised bed garden where voles decimated my garlic, total loss. The latest raised bed attracted a vole that ate roots off tomato plants early season last year, and I got one of those $5.99 sonic stakes and stuck it in the middle, voles VANISHED overnight and never returned, it's solar powered and chirps every 30 seconds. I replaced the tomatoes and recovered the season with plenty of tomatoes. I WISH I had known about these things years ago! Great investment and works a charm!

301218


With rabbit ears being as large as they are, it would seem that one of the above ground stakes may just irritate them enough to keep them from coming too close.

[centershot]

sss

This. ^^^^^

[Good Cheer]

For the deer and rabbits I'm using remesh with chicken wire around the beds and buckets.
http://i.imgur.com/j0qfy0l.jpg (https://imgur.com/j0qfy0l)

[Good Cheer]

I cannot speak to effectiveness, but last time I visited the Lowes garden section there was a red can with a rabbit on the label with a title about animal repellant. I did not check the price, but if it works, its probably cheaper than fence.

The wife uses "Rabbit Scram" around her flowers and it seems to work.
Irish Spring seems to work for deer but not the rabbits.
The cat doesn't work for nothing.
http://i.imgur.com/qXIZiUi.jpg (https://imgur.com/qXIZiUi)

[georgerkahn]

My housing area is overrun by cottontail rabbits since there are essentially no predators to control their numbers. My darling wife tries to grow small quantities of veggies that the rabbits find simply delicious. So, I'm looking for a legal means of thwarting them. We are within the city limits and have a pool in the back yard and neighbors on both sides, so a suppressed .22 is a No-Go. If I put a hole in the pool or it's plumbing, I would be living outdoors, eating the wife's veggies to stay alive!

Suggestions?

I soooo can relate!!! I truthfully love bunnies as pets -- both had them as a kid, and provided them for my children -- BUT they are not friends to my pole beans, cucumbers, and squash! Last year I had eight gorgeous pole beans on a tower -- and after the bunnies? But one plant left! I, too, 'specially residing in New York State -- cannot even think of using a sling shot, spit ball, or even a rubber band propelled pebble. Further, I cannot legally even think about it, or I may very well get Red Flagged ;).
Seriously-er, I did quite a fair amount of research, and my "rabbet" fence from Agway did not work last year. Yes, the lower wires are close enough to keep the bunnies out -- but -- they must've hopped or ??? as they sure decimated my plants! I also bought those fairly costly plastic garlic clips which also didn't do squat! (Well -- the deer ate plants but not the clips...)
Recommended to me by folks purportedly in the know would be #1 an electric fence -- but, also to "dangerous" for me legal-wise, as well as my fear a local child might get zapped. Hence, this is a no-no. Second on the list is a product called Liquid Fence -- I attached a photo of a bottle 301290. I've used it for three days, and it has worked -- albeit this surely is not a real test. Also, bion, human urine was highly recommended. It was suggested to pee in, say, an old detergent bottle, and then transfer to a houseplant-style watering vessel. Then, walk around the garden perimeter leaving a light trail of human urine. I was told that rabbets are very sensitive to smells, and this is one they keep away from.
For *now* I'm trying/using the Liquid Fence... Maybe, should this not work I'll resort to the above plan "B". As a side note, I also bought -- put have not yet installed -- a 50' x 36" roll of metal poultry netting (chicken wire) which I plan to clip to the outside perimeter of entire garden...
Good luck!
geo

[GregLaROCHE]

I would definitely go for a fence. This is the first time I’ve heard about products that keep plants from being eaten. I’m not sure I would like eating plants that it had been used on. Maybe good for flowers and ornamental plants.

[gwpercle]

Live trap from the hardware store .

If kind hearted , take the rabbits on a long drive and let them go ...Be Free my rabbit friends !

If you a Cajun ... any way you like to cook chicken simply substitute rabbit for the chicken !
Let's see what we can do with them ... Baked Stuffed Rabbit , Brunswick Stew , Rabbit Creole , Fricasseed Rabit , Fried Rabbit , Rabbit Stew , Pot Roasted Rabbit , Rabbit Curry , Rabbit Delight , Rabbit in a bag , Rabbit in Sour Cream , Rabbit and Dumplings and (my favorite ) Rabbit Sauce Piquante ! See ... there are lots of good & tasty ways to make rabbits disappear !
Gary

[jaysouth]

All of this discussion of eating bunnies, has Tuleramia (rabbit fever) receded?

[GhostHawk]

Tuleramia is cyclical and depends on the population in any given area.

There was an outbreak of it in the late 60's in Northwest minn and NE North Dakota. 10 years later my dad was still freaking out if I shot a cottontail.
Sick animals don't behave right. And a quick rip of the belly skin reveals white spots on the liver. Leave it lay, and don't get it on you.

But I have eaten a lot of rabbits since then. Like anything else there is a certain amount of self education, common sense required to be safe.