What will scare rabbits away

Nibbling your petunias is therefore not a carefree picnic but a danger-fraught mission. However, if your neighborhood bunny can squeeze through a hole in your garden fence, it will be able to munch in safety.

You can check our tips for keeping your plants safe from rabbits, but try to regard rabbits as Beatrix Potter did—part of a peaceful, pastoral landscape.

Ranging from Boston to Boulder and south into Mexico, this bunny-about-town is rarely found in forests; preferring instead brushy fence rows, field edges, brush piles, and—you guessed it—landscaped backyards. Its fondness for flowers, vegetables, bark, and bulbs often results in pruned peppers and clipped cosmos.

It is gray or brownish, with a short tail and big ears. It can weigh 2 to 4 pounds, be 15 to 19 inches in length, and live for 12 to 15 months. Its vocal call is almost silent, but it will emit a scream when threatened. Its famous features include a short white tail resembling a cotton ball and long, tapered ears.

Unlike their European cousins, these rabbits do not dig intricate burrows or warrens but make due with what they find. Rabbits rarely leave their shelters in broad daylight, preferring instead early morning or evening. Like most animals, they are sensitive to the change in day length as spring approaches. For rabbits, the longer days signal the start of two things: breeding season and spring dining.

Rabbits are voracious eaters and leave clean-cut damage. Check the leaves and stems of your plants for cleanly cut damage; insects and other pests usually leave jagged edges on damaged plants.

This clean-cut damage often happens at ground level, as rabbits tend to eat the yummy green shoots of tulips and other plants. These low mowers graze close to the ground and sniff out the first tender young shoots and crop them short.

They love to munch on flowers, clover , peas , lettuce , beans , and more. Many of these plants are also the favorites of woodchucks or groundhogs, so check for burrows before deciding you have rabbit damage.

Once your plants have passed the seedling stage, they are usually safe from rabbit damage. Cut clean off! I blame the bunnies—their little paw prints were everywhere. According to bunny experts, rabbits have plant preferences based on taste, nutritive value, the presence of poison or prickles, and ease of availability.

Their tastes in food can also vary by region and season, so not all plants work for all rabbits. Rabbits tend to avoid some of the same plants as deer and Japanese beetles. Choose plants such as forsythia, lilac bush , marigolds , zinnias , daffodils , lavender , and snapdragons for rabbits. This might help to reduce your rabbit population. This is not a guaranteed solution, as hungry rabbits will eat almost anything, but filling your garden with these plants might make your garden less appetizing than another one.

Here are more plants that rabbits dislike:. Azalea Rhododendron sp. Boxwood Buxus sp. Tatarian dogwood Cornus alba Tulip tree Liriodendron tulipifera. Daffodil Narcissus sp. Hyacinth Hyacinth orientalis Persian onion Allium giganteum. Do you have any tips for controlling rabbits in your garden or yard?

Please post below! Rabbits constantly eat the green leaves off my parsley leaving bare stalks, so I don't think parsley is a deterrent here in South Australia! The Almanac can add Yarrow to the rabbit list. A young bunny has been munching on my plant and today I am setting up three 8x10 mirrors strategically placed and propped up hoping he will be scared away. Worth a try.. Stay tuned. It is totally irresponsible to recommend catch and release of rabbits on someone else's property!

I live in the country and battle rabbits just as the the city gardener. We don't want your rabbits. Rabbits are even more destructive here, as the land spanses are larger and the difficulties in controlling them are greater.

Products like 'Repels-All' work to some extent, but they also stink up your garden. Deer deterents, like coyote urine work, but readily attract coyote and they are very destructive too STOP giving irresponsible advice!

I have lost all respect for this site! We will miss the cute rabbits when they are gone. Tame and wild. There is a disease that is killing rabbits. Virus found in Devices like scarecrows, decoy owls , decoy snakes , decoy coyote , decoy fox and decoy hawk that are around your yard will scare rabbits away. As we stated above rabbits seek a safe place to hid.

When their safety is threatened, they are quick to use their natural defense mechanism and run away. Introducing natural predators or objects that they see as predators is a great way to keep them out of your yard. The scare device offers an unfamiliar presence that will keep rabbits away. For this reason, replace your scare device with a new object every four to five months.

Yes, most dogs will typically chase the rabbit out of your yard. Dogs can be an effective way to scare off rabbits and to keep them away for a while. Rabbits consider these animals to be predators. Even, Murphy, our family dog has chased a few out of our yard over the years.

Some dogs have no interest in chasing rabbits and others lose interest over time. Using a dog to keep a rabbit out of your yard is an option that may sound dangerous to the rabbit. We want to be as humane as possible to the rabbit. Can you scare a rabbit to death? Yes, it is possible to scare a rabbit to death but it is not probable. Rabbits are born with an instinct to avoid predators. They are adept at getting away, but there is always an exception to the rule. A rabbit, just like any animal or human under stressful circumstances, could have a heart attack and die.

Yes, a fence that is over 2 feet in height and that is either chicken wire, lattice or mesh will keep rabbits out of your yard. So make sure that you fence is high enough to keep the rabbits out. Barrier fences are easy to put up and are considered a humane approach to dealing with a rabbit problem. Find out other ways a fenced-in yard can be beneficial besides keeping our rabbits by reading our article 10 Reasons to Install a Fence Around Your Yard.

There are many types of products you can use to repel rabbits from your property. Using a natural rabbit repellent is a simple and easy method that has a high success rate. Rabbits in Your Yard What rabbit-repelling methods have you used? Read More. More Like This. HH - Articles - Email Signup. Woodstream Family of Brands. All Rights Reserved. King Street, Lancaster, PA Please enter your email address below to create account.

Sign In. It also includes strong smelling repellants such as pungent essential oils, or peppers. Cat litter, raw or suffered eggs, and garlic are also useful to repel rabbits.

Blood is a detergent for rabbits. You can purchase blood meal or bonemeal and sprinkle it around your plants. This could attract other predators.

Sprinkle the smelly substance around plants. Soak rags in ammonia and place them around your yard and garden. If you purchase rabbit repellants, look for those with naphthalene or potassium salts as they tend to be more effective in protecting your plants from rabbits.

Another popular repellant is the use of Irish soap. Hang little bags of shavings around the garden. The strong scent helps to repel rabbits. Coyote urine is also popular. Since coyotes kill house cats, they usually stay away from the scent of such a bit animal. Depending on the type of repellant you use, you will want to be aware that other animals may also be repelled.

Be careful using ammonia in places where your pets frequent as it can negatively affect them. If you choose to use repellants, they will need to be reapplied frequently or after any rain or snow. You will need to carefully adhere to the instructions for any purchased repellant you use.

Trapping is not always a feasible option. You will want to make sure that you understand what your local ordinances allow. Relocating rabbits within city limits is often prohibited. Additionally, rabbits can carry diseases such as hantavirus, salmonella, and others. You should understand the risks and how to protect yourself from this risk. In many states, rabbits are considered agricultural pests. This means that relocating rabbits is often regulated by local or state laws.

Make sure you understand your local regulations before attempting to relocate rabbits away from your property. If you decide to add fencing to keep rabbits out of your yard and garden, make sure it is at least feet high. Any shorter and rabbits will be able to jump over it. Additionally, rabbits are wonderful diggers.