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Though rabbits are charming to look at, they can become a nuisance in the garden, especially when they begin eating your plants, including fruits and vegetables.
One clear sign of rabbits in your garden is their preference for young, tender plants. After their feasting, your plants will appear neatly clipped, and you might find small pellets of rabbit droppings. You may also notice digging, particularly around the garden’s edges.
Discovering rabbits in your garden and seeing the damage they’ve caused can be frustrating. While it can be disheartening for any gardener, don’t despair—your garden can still flourish despite the presence of rabbits.
To help you safeguard your plants this season, here are 12 strategies to deter rabbits from your garden.
Incorporate Rabbit Deterring Plants
Introducing certain plants that rabbits tend to avoid can help protect your garden. Plants like lavender, garlic, sage, tomatoes, mint, onions, hyacinth, daffodils, sedum, primrose, and rhubarb naturally repel rabbits. These plants are unattractive to rabbits and serve as natural deterrents.
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Use Dogs
Dogs are natural rabbit deterrents. Their presence can chase away small animals, and their patrols instill fear in rabbits. Additionally, dogs alert you to the presence of rabbits through barking.
Use Raised Beds
Elevating plants with raised beds can keep them out of rabbits’ reach. A raised bed should be about waist-high to be effective.
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Scatter Evidence of a Predator
Sprinkling the hair or urine of predators like dogs or cats around your garden’s borders can deter rabbits. Rabbits have a keen sense of smell and can detect predators, triggering a fear response that keeps them away. Predator urine is available at many garden centers for this purpose. Spray it around your garden weekly and reapply after rain for best results.
Install a Sprinkler System
Motion-activated sprinklers can effectively keep rabbits away. When rabbits approach your plants, the system releases a burst of water, deterring them from returning.
Scare Tactics
Use shiny objects, wind chimes, garden ornaments, or statues of predators like wolves, owls, and rubber snakes around your garden’s perimeter. These can scare rabbits away as they avoid areas where predators seem to be present. If you use these deterrents, move them around frequently to prevent rabbits from getting used to them.
Remove Nesting Areas
Female rabbits can reproduce quickly, so eliminating potential nesting sites is crucial. They nest in overgrown and grassy areas, so keep your garden clear of these types of spots.
Using Fences as Barriers
Building a fence is an effective physical barrier to protect your plants. These barriers prevent rabbits from accessing your plants and discourage their raid attempts. Ensure the fence is high enough so rabbits can’t jump over it.
Sprinkle Coffee Grounds
Used coffee grounds are an eco-friendly way to keep rabbits away. The strong smell is unpleasant to rabbits, deterring them from areas where the grounds are spread. Scatter the grounds around your garden’s perimeter to create a scent barrier.
The caffeine and acidity may also enrich the soil, and as the grounds compost, they provide extra nutrients to your plants. Remember to reapply after rain to maintain their effectiveness.
Protect Individual Plants
For smaller plants needing protection, use chicken wire or plant cages to shield them individually.
Homemade Repellent Spray
Chili pepper, chili flakes, or cayenne pepper can deter rabbits. Sprinkle these around your garden or create a spray by blending them with garlic and water, straining out the pulp before application.
Use Repellents
If other methods fail, consider purchasing rabbit deterrents. Both chemical and organic rabbit repellents are available, with options that make plants taste bad or use odors to repel without touching the plant.
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