Jump to content
GoDuBois.com

Rabbit problems


Recommended Posts

Anybody have any ideas on how to keep rabbits out of a garden?  I have a fence (they dig under it), tried deer and rabbit repellant (works for a day or two). I've been trying to give them a taste of lead, but i swear for every one I kill, two more show up!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tell the man of the family to go out after dark and "water" around the garden, but not in it.  Rabbits avoid the urine of meat eaters.  

 

It's funny how many men will water anything outdoors at the first chance, but give them a destination and they refuse! :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tell the man of the family to go out after dark and "water" around the garden, but not in it.  Rabbits avoid the urine of meat eaters.  

 

It's funny how many men will water anything outdoors at the first chance, but give them a destination and they refuse! :-)

I am always wondering why there aren't many rabbits around my home, now I know that it is probably my husbands fault. I swear that he doesn't even know that we have a bathroom in the house. lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good luck, we have had problems for the last three years with our landscaping.  The rabbits will stand on their hind feet to reach the branches off some of our shrubs.  They will clean the leaves right off the branches.  They could care less about our dog or our pellet gun.

The only thing we found that worked last year was some hawks were hanging around and they really cleaned out the rabbit "herd".  This year we had a stray cat for a few weeks off/on and that kept them away, the cat hasn't been around the neighborhood and the rabbits are back.  I have even gone up the embankment almost to them and they will just run to the edge of the woods and watch when I go back into the yard.  I have tried all kind of products purchased and homemade.  Good Luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We put moth balls around the outside of the garden in the grass. Obviously you wouldn't want to do this if you have small children but we have tons of rabbits and they don't bother the garden and the deer avoid it like the plague. I used to plant a small patch of lettuce away from the garden just for the rabbits.  They left the garden alone and I had extra lettuce. They don't like the smell of marigold either. The first year Ihad my husband plant marigolds we ended up with a hedgerow that  nothing could get through. I picked enough seeds from it to 1/2 fill a 5 gallon bucket. Everyone the next year had marigolds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We put moth balls around the outside of the garden in the grass. Obviously you wouldn't want to do this if you have small children but we have tons of rabbits and they don't bother the garden and the deer avoid it like the plague. I used to plant a small patch of lettuce away from the garden just for the rabbits.  They left the garden alone and I had extra lettuce. They don't like the smell of marigold either. The first year Ihad my husband plant marigolds we ended up with a hedgerow that  nothing could get through. I picked enough seeds from it to 1/2 fill a 5 gallon bucket. Everyone the next year had marigolds.

Good point, I have seen amish gardens & they use marigolds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try these

 

 

 

Rabbit Repellent

 

This is harmless for rabbits. It only repels them.

 

1/2 cup talcum powder

1/4 cup cayenne pepper

 

Mix the ingredients. Spread the mixture wherever you do not want the rabbits to feed.

 

Animal Repellent

 

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 quart water

1/4 teaspoon liquid detergent

 

Mix well. Spray on all garden plants. The smell will repel animals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest madre

When the cat was allowed out we never had a problem.  The neighbors complained about the cat and we we've had to keep him in.  Now, there's an entire family of rabbits running around (and squirrels and chippys).  They don't seem too concerned about our dog, for some reason.   ;D  

 

I like the lettuce idea...I may try that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm surprised that no one has suggested inviting them in for dinner. They are excellent eating.

Very few rabbits make if through their first year as just about every meat eater preys on them but breeding like rabbits is no joke.

 

Here is an article from the Down to Earth Garden Club June newsletter. It will be up on our website as soon as I get the weeds under control.  Most of the info is from PSU County Extension.  Hope it helps.

 

Our backyard cottontail is Sylviagus floridanus. It consumes 1/5 of a pound of food per day, which may not seem like much until it invites its extended family to dine in your garden. Rabbits can cause damage in fruit orchards, where both fruit and bark are consumed; vegetable gardens; flower gardens and in landscape plantings.  A rabbit

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...