Having a backyard filled with cute, fluffy rabbits hopping around might sound like a scene out of a Disney movie, but you won\u2019t be smiling when you see what they\u2019ve done to your garden.<\/p>
Rabbits might be fun to watch, but they love eating your fresh veggies just as much as you do. <\/p>
Work smarter than Elmer Fudd and you\u2019ll get your Bugs Bunny to stop nibbling on your garden in no time. Read on to learn the best ways to rabbit-proof your garden and backyard. <\/p>
Don\u2019t let pesky rabbits reap the rewards from your hours laboring in the garden<\/a>. Barricade your garden from rabbits using chicken wire, plant cages, or similar fencing materials. <\/p> What kind of fence should I use?<\/strong><\/p> Chicken wire is the most affordable garden fencing option. The netting of the chicken wire mesh should be 1 inch or smaller.<\/p> Install the fence at least 6 inches into the ground, otherwise, rabbits can dig under and begin to feast. If you\u2019re also battling groundhogs<\/a>, make sure to bury the fence 12 inches into the ground at an L shape to prevent the groundhogs from digging under.<\/p> If you don\u2019t want to use chicken wire, electric fences are also an option. The most expensive option is hardware cloth, but this is the best long-term option since it\u2019s more durable than chicken wire or an electric fence. <\/p> For extra defense, use floating row covers<\/a> at night.<\/p> When to use a plant cage:<\/strong><\/p> When your plants are just beginning to sprout out of the ground is when they\u2019re most vulnerable to rabbits. Use plant cages or wire baskets to cover the plants until they either grow out of the size of the cage or they\u2019re big enough to survive a night of rabbit munchies. <\/p> How to protect large shrubs and trees: <\/strong><\/p> If you\u2019re finding scraps of bark around your bushes or trees, it likely means a bunny has been snacking away at their trunks. When a rabbit makes its way around the tree removing all of the bark it\u2019s called girdling<\/strong>, and it can kill your tree.<\/p> Keep rabbits away from your trees with trunk protectors. You also can protect tree and shrub trunks by wrapping them with foil or burlap. If this doesn\u2019t suit the shape of your shrubs, you\u2019ll need to barricade them with chicken wire or another type of fencing. <\/p> Rabbit repellent is a spray, liquid, or container of granules made of organic material — such as rotten eggs, predator blood or urine, and garlic — that smells bad to rabbits and deters them from certain areas of your yard. <\/p> Pro Tip: <\/strong>Rabbit repellent is non-toxic, but you avoid spraying it on plants you\u2019re planning to eat unless you enjoy the taste of rotten eggs. <\/p> You don\u2019t want your rabbit problem to get any worse, so prevent wild rabbits from growing in numbers by removing potential nesting areas from your backyard.<\/p> Where to look for rabbit nests:<\/strong><\/p> Rabbits like to nest in areas that are overgrown and grassy, so be sure to keep up with your mowing<\/a> and weeding<\/a> chores. They also will seek comfort in piles of leaves and under bushes. <\/p> Keep your lawn free of debris, and get some rabbit repellent (or use home remedies) to keep them out of your bushes. <\/p> What to do if you find a rabbit nest:<\/strong><\/p> If you find a nesting mother with her bunnies, do not attempt to remove them<\/strong>. Leave them alone or contact your local animal control center to figure out the next steps for their safe removal.<\/p> Rabbits might enjoy many of the same vegetables we do, but they won\u2019t love everything growing in your garden. Rabbits have a strong sense of smell, which enables them to find food they like as well as avoid pungent smells and food they don\u2019t like.<\/p> If rabbits are destroying your garden, consider planting plants that rabbits don\u2019t like to eat instead. Or, surround your garden with rabbit-repelling plants to deter them from entering your garden in the first place. <\/p> Here are a few plants that rabbits don\u2019t like to eat: <\/strong><\/p> Buy rabbit repellent<\/span><\/h3>
Prevent rabbit nesting<\/span><\/h3>
Grow rabbit-repelling plants<\/span><\/h3>