If this happens, spray on the ground around the plant instead. In addition to rabbits are rodents and deer among other pests. Additionally, rabbits may dig burrows on residential properties, which can leave unsightly holes and become a tripping hazard. A rabbit or other small animal entering the cage will trigger a mechanism to snap the door shut without harming the animal. Planting ​Certain Types of Plants. A local salon may be happy to save hair clippings for you if you try that method. Support wikiHow by I show you as I get rid of a Rabbit Warren on a property. Rabbits’ Natural Enemies. I mainly want the rabbits out of my yard so they don't end up in my dog's mouth. This article has been viewed 541,357 times. This is another great way you can naturally keep rabbits away. This may attract other pests, such as ants. Fill the burrows with gravel or dirt. By placing human hair around the fence or the areas where the rabbit gets access to your garden helps. A mixture of the above may work best of all. Non poison Method from my Grand Father. Use A Homemade Repellent To Deter Rabbits Away From The Garden. Use Fish Emulsion Along the way, keep the following considerations in mind: Once you choose a product, apply it per the manufacturer’s instructions and follow up accordingly to keep pests out of your yard and garden all season. Working along the perimeter, drive a stake into the ground every six feet, using a hammer. Scatter hair clippings. This is usually not necessary in home garden soil, and may even be detrimental if phosphorus is already high. Bury the fence 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) deep. Approved. If … If the rabbits are relentless, adjust your recipe to be more potent by adding more garlic. Later, you’ll bury the fence inside the trench. Leave the bottle in the sun to speed up mixing. Plastic-coated chicken wire may be more attractive and safer than bare metal wire, since it won't rust. Do not add more spicy materials than recommended. Rabbit repellents basically work in two ways to keep rabbits out of your flower and vegetable garden and off the lawn—they produce a smell or taste that is repulsive for rabbits but without harm. Rabbits can navigate under shallow fences, so you’ll want to dig a six- or eight-inch trench along the planned perimeter. Purchase chicken wire fencing and stakes (either wood or metal) from a home store. Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler with Day & Night Detection Modes $69.99 $ 79.99 This will help your mixture stick to your plants. Electric net fencing also can be used for temporary control around seasonal gardens. I don't want to hurt babies but I just don't want them eating my salad fixings either. There are several ways to use natural rabbit repellents in your garden. Ideally, get specific advice from a local university extension, to find plants that grow in your climate and deter rabbit species in your area. To prevent rabbits from burrowing under it, the fencing should extend at least six inches below ground or be secured to the ground to keep the bottom edge tight. Leave 2 feet (0.6 m) above the surface, or 3 ft (0.9 m) if you live near jackrabbits. Copyright © 2021 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. These could indicate the presence of rabbits, which take cover in the holes during cold or rainy weather. Thyme and basil are good ones to try. Rabbits follow their powerful noses to find delicious-smelling foods (like your vegetable garden). Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. While children love big-eared Bugs Bunny chomping on a carrot, gardeners can identify closely with his cartoon nemesis, Elmer Fudd. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Did you know you can read expert answers for this article? As Elmer Fudd is famous for saying, “rascally rabbits” can be especially smart and elusive, making an infestation quite difficult to manage. Bone meal adds phosphorus to the soil, promoting root health. Every few days, check your fence for signs of weakness—particularly along the bottom and the stakes. You can actually buy small spray bottles of predator urine at most hunting stores, making it a fairly natural way to get rid of rabbits without going crazy for DIY solutions. DIY Rabbit Repellents. Spray early in the evening since most rabbits feed at night, and reapply every 2 to 3 days. Rabbits had eaten our plants down to nubs. Blood meal adds nitrogen to the soil, promoting green, leafy growth. It worked like a charm right, "Very helpful! wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Since native rabbits can't dig, and they also can't jump ("They can't do much, actually," … This is an odd one, but it works. Apply only during the growing season, and never to legumes. You can even try calling your local humane society’s office and ask if they can lend you a trap or let you rent it. Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Such repellents are completely safe for your cat or dog. Some Ways to Get Rid of Rabbits in Your Garden Placing human hair at strategic places. While the name of the product is Liquid Fence, you don’t have … A very simple way to keep rabbits away from your garden is to place some corn cobs soaked in vinegar. Egg and vinegar also work well if placed on the border of the garden. Remove piles of wood, sticks, branches, trimmings, and debris—all of which provide the perfect hiding places for rabbits. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. How to recognize the signs of rabbits in your area? Take a minute now to pull on gloves before handling the trap, as rabbits may pick up a human’s scent and avoid the cage. Repellents work by changing the smell or taste of these items, thus deterring rabbits. Soak strips of old rags in undiluted ammonia, and place them on the trails the rabbits are using to get into your garden. And rapid reproduction rates—30-day pregnancies that can create as many as 12 offspring each time—can overrun your property in just a season. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Liquid Fence makes a great deterrent to keep rabbits and other animals away from your yard and vegetable garden. Mow your grass regularly (about once a week), and don’t leave clippings around for rabbits to nosh on. It’s one of the easiest ways to get rid of the rabbits from your garden plants. Build a fence. Reduce the areas where rabbits like to hide. You agree that BobVila.com may process your data in the manner described by our Privacy Policy. This will get rid of rabbits when applied around your yard and garden. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. Find licensed pros in your area and get free, no-commitment estimates for your project. % of people told us that this article helped them. Humane traps offer an effective complementary solution for small numbers of rabbits that still roam your property. Check local laws to find out if rabbits are a game species in your area. If you’re using the repellent on produce in the vegetable garden, ensure the product is safe to use and won’t affect the flavor of your food. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 541,357 times. Do mothballs keep rabbits away from plants? If you know where the rabbits enter the garden, you can spray the plants at that border. Cut the chicken wire to size with wire cutters. Ensure there aren’t any gaps by overlapping the wire pieces where necessary and securing the edges to the stakes as best as possible. I doubt it, because deer don't eat rabbits. It says coyote urine. I spray them down every other day or so, and 3 months later they are flourishing. Deer are vegetarians. Rabbits detest the smell of human hair and it can actually cause them to fear … You can often deter them from your garden plants with smelly or spicy materials made at home, but it may take several tries to find something that works. These are some great ways on how you can get rid of rabbits naturally. Human or dog hair, cayenne pepper, and garden manure spread around your garden will make sure your plants safe, and if you spray your vegetables with a mix of vinegar and water, no rabbit will want them. Don't add more soap, as this could damage the plants. For maximum efficiency, you’ll need fencing to extend 36 inches above the ground and six or eight inches beneath (depending on the depth of the trench you dug in Step 1)—that’s 42 to 44 inches tall by the length of the perimeter. Rabbits are an invasive pest in many areas of the world. They nibble the bark off of young trees, eat garden plants and flowers, and may dig or scratch in soil or turf. This article was co-authored by Lauren Kurtz. Note:Make sure to sprinkle rabbit deterrents whenever it rains, or you can also do that once weekly. The moment they smell it, they leave an area. Another way to get rabbits to leave your plants alone is to make your own rabbit repellent. Back at home, plan out the area you intend to fence. Weigh the pros and cons of water solubility for your property, since water soluble repellents may be easier to apply but more quickly dissolve from hose or rain water (and therefore require lots of reapplication). Rabbit traps should be washed with soap and water or with bleach and water to get rid of any human smells on the traps, and to get rid of any urine or defecation left in the trap by previously trapped rabbits. Shake the mixture well to incorporate. Make sure that the mesh holes in the chicken wire have a maximum one-inch diameter; some adult rabbits can squeeze through anything larger than that. Raise the soil bed somewhere between 30-60 cm above the ground. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Irish Spring soap shavings placed in little drawstring bags around the garden will also help to keep rabbits away. Staple chicken wire to the interior of the frame, then attach one side of the gate to a stake with hinges. Find your live trap filled? The spicy mixture can sting faces and eyes. The hair decomposes and adds to the compost variety in the garden. Rabbits have a great number of natural predators and they may be difficult to actively observe. There are other methods that will signal to rabbits there are predators nearby and keep them from entering your garden. 3. For more advice from our Horticulturist reviewer, including how to use organic repellents like bone meal and fox urine, keep reading. Then, following manufacturer instructions, set up the trap in a shady, sheltered area of your yard, preferably near vegetation. No Holes, No rabbits. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. By using our site, you agree to our. If you have a serious rabbit infestation, call professional pest control for help. Next time when you are cutting your hair, ask for your hair. Try lettuce, carrots, or brussel sprouts. Trapping is another effective way to get rid of rabbits in your yard. An unkempt and overgrown yard will undoubtedly attract rabbits, since the animals take cover in tall grass. Perhaps the best method to ward off large numbers of rabbits involves fencing. Some people protect plants with individual “collars” of tin cans or … Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. Despite homeowners’ best efforts keeping a well-manicured yard, this strategy alone may not always deter them. Some gardeners plant a clump of clover or alfalfa to feed rabbits, hoping that they'll be satisfied and avoid less tasty plants. Following the steps below, a homeowner can install their own backyard barrier. They also enjoy garden vegetables like carrots, peas, beans, lettuce, and beets, and also clover and turf grass. The plastic owl. This will cause many problems for all rabbits who will try to penetrate the soil bed and help to reduce visibility. 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