While rabbits can be cute, furry visitors, this may not always be the case if you are growing plants. If you have a garden or other vegetation you want to keep in-tact, these may be a prime target for rabbits and other rodents. Grazing and otherwise destroying is a common problem when rabbits enter yards and gardens. So, how can you keep these furry little critters out of your yard?
With a plan in place, you can keep rabbits out of your yard. There are many strategies you can use to repel rabbits from your yard or garden and using one or a variety of them will prove effective. Examples include; planting vegetation rabbits do not eat, cleaning up the garden, using repellants, scaring, and placing barriers.
With a solid plan in action you can create a rabbit-free zone in your yard or garden. I will be talking about signs that a rabbit is in your yard, why rabbits may be a problem in your yard, and finally 13 ways to rid your yard of rabbits.
How to Tell if a Rabbit has Been in Your Yard? If Your Vegetation Looks Damaged, it is Apparent that Some Type of Creature Has Paid Your Yard or Garden a Visit. However, How Can You be Certain a Rabbit is the Culprit? One of the First Things You Will Notice is Rabbit Droppings. Next, You May Notice Tufts of Fur. Another Sign that Your Visitor is a Rabbit is Clean-Cut Leaves Which Look Like It May Have Been Done by a Razor.
It is important to know who is entering your yard or garden because different creatures should be treated differently to properly rid your yard of the problem. If you can be sure the rabbit is grazing on your vegetation, you can begin to cater your preventative strategies towards the rabbit.
Keep an eye out for uprooted or missing plants from your yard or garden. These, as well as young seedlings are prime targets for rabbits.
Holes dug can also be a sign of a rabbit, as rabbits choose to burrow underground for shelter. Lastly, look for small piles of round droppings with fur near them, as this is one of the largest indicators that a rabbit has entered your yard or garden.
Why Should You Keep Rabbits Out of Your Yard? While Rabbits Make a Great Pet, They Can Wreak Havoc on Your Garden or Other Vegetation in Your Yard. The Rabbit’s Food Source May be What You are Growing, Therefore They Will Help Themselves Until Your Plants are Destroyed. Also, Rabbits are Notorious for Reproducing Very Quickly Which May Result in a Rabbit Infestation in Your Yard and Garden.
When you have put time, money, and energy into creating a garden, the last thing you probably want is all of your plants to be ruined once they have grown. This frustration is a reality for many when attempting to create a garden, whether it be flowers, vegetables or other plants.
Rabbits not only graze on the plants themselves, but they reproduce at such a rapid rate which leads to other rabbits using the garden as a food source.
Before long, the garden or yard is home to many rabbits, and the plants are no longer of use to the humans who have put the work into growing these plants.
How Can You Keep Rabbits Out of Your Yard? While Rabbits Can Prove to be a Nuisance on Gardens and Yards, there are Ways to Prevent Them from Making a Habit Out of Feeding on Your Plants. After Taking a Look at the Signs and Determining that it is a Rabbit Responsible for the Destruction, a Plan of Action Can Begin to be Made. Methods Such as Being Conscious of the Plants You Choose to Include in Your Garden, Creating Barriers, and Keeping Your Yard Clean Can Prove to be Effective. We Have Explored 13 Ways to Keep Rabbits Out of Your Yard…
- Planting vegetation the rabbits are not interested in
If you have the ability to choose plants rabbits will not be interested in, this will be your most effective approach. Rabbits tend to be attracted to young, tender plants as well as leafy greens, flowers, and beans. Rabbits also have a natural distaste for strong-scented plants like garlic, onion, rhubarb, oregano, basil, and geranium.
- Keep your garden and yard clean
An open, tidy space is much less appealing to a rabbit than a messy space with plenty of objects and greenery. Keeping your yard and garden maintained will make the area less intriguing to a rabbit and motivate them to look elsewhere for resources.
- Put up barriers
Putting up a cage made from chicken-wire, hardware cloth, or a plant cage can reduce a rabbit’s ability to destroy your plants. Making sure the barrier is high enough so the rabbit cannot jump over it, but also cannot dig underneath of it is vital. Two feet high and six inches deep would be efficient.
- Scare the rabbits away with props
Having a prop modeled after a natural predator or that is foreign to a rabbit may scare them enough to not come back. A scarecrow, owl, snake, or aluminum pie pans can be effective for warding off rabbits. If the rabbits fear your yard or garden, they will seek food elsewhere.
- Scare away with ultrasonic devices
If you don’t like the look of a prop in your yard, installing a motion sensor or an ultrasonic device can be an alternative. This enables scaring to be used without having props all over your yard. When the rabbit trips the motion sensor, water may be sprayed to condition them to stay away from your plants.
- Apply taste deterrents
If you notice an area of your yard or garden where there is damage you can fight this with taste deterrents. Spraying the deterrents on the area you would like to keep the rabbits from will affect their taste, making the plants less appealing.
- Apply scent deterrents
You can use scent deterrents by spraying things like predator urine, blood meal, or even placing pet hair in the garden or yard. These scents work by scaring the rabbit into finding food elsewhere.
- Make your garden and yard less appealing to rabbits
If your yard is rich in small bushes, thick vegetation, weeds, and branches, you are creating the perfect hideout for rabbits. Having plenty of space to hide will make a rabbit feel safe and secure from predators. Making an effort to eliminate some of this potential hiding space for the rabbit will cut down on the appeal of your property.
- Use tree guards
During the winter months tree guards can be very effective for covering trees from rabbit destruction. Use these by wrapping the lowest portion of the tree trunk as high as two feet above the snow.
- Keep a dog in your yard
The goal of keeping a dog in your yard is not to eliminate the rabbit, but to intimidate the rabbit so they do not feel comfortable helping themselves to your plants. If a dog is present in your yard the rabbit will likely seek food with less of a threat present.
- Use raised beds for plants
While using raised beds for your gardening will not guarantee protection from rabbits, it will lessen the likeliness that a rabbit will bother your plants.
- Trap and relocate through help of animal control
If this is the method you choose, it is important you do not try to trap the rabbit yourself. Using live traps may result in an injury to you or the animal. Contact animal control and they will find a humane way to trap and relocate the animal.
- Work with them, not against them
While this suggestion does not involve removing the rabbit from your garden or yard, it does help your plants remain unbothered by rabbits. Rather than trying to keep rabbits from your yard, embracing their presence may work for you if the other methods don’t.
Devoting a separate area of your property to rabbits, for example planting clover, small bushes, and other dense vegetation for coverage may distract them from your other plants.
While It is True That Rabbits Make Less than Ideal Visitors In Your Garden and Yard, They Can be Prevented. All of That Hard Work to Grow Flowers, Vegetables, and Fruits is Threatened When a Rabbit or Two Decide to Make a Home in Your Yard.
Just because a rabbit decides to take up residence in your yard does not mean you have to let your plants suffer. Once you have identified the culprit, get to planning your method to rid your yard of the rabbits.
Once you have found a plan that will work for you, you can enjoy having a garden and yard free of rabbits while enjoying your plants!
