Hello, Mike. It seems like “Watership Down” was once my suburban neighborhood, and the rabbits never left. Why should they when they can chew on my petunias? The grass is dying off because they use my side yard as a toilet, which is the true issue. Can I do anything to mitigate the effects of the waste? Although I’m attempting to coexist amicably with them, my grass is truly suffering. Thanks.
—-Deb, from Burlington, NJ
Hello Mike The flowers in my mother’s garden are beautiful, but the rabbits keep eating them until they are nothing but protruding nubs. Is there anything we can put in the garden or plant to deter bunnies? Sincerely, I adore your show.
from Philadelphia, Laura
A. Rabbits are everyone’s enemy. They are also all around us. However, I’ve never heard of them mowing down a grass. Perhaps the Old Professor here missed a crucial lesson in Miserable Mammals class, but I’m betting that your turf is being affected by something else (grubs, disease, short mowing, inadequate early childhood education, etc.). The gardening community is widely aware that those adorable little pellets that bunnies generate are actually a fantastic, mild fertilizer. There are currently three fundamental techniques to stop the plant from producing these enormously procreative pests: fencing, repellents, and protective pets.
Pets:
Your Good Karma Card of Life will earn some points if you save one or two cats from being put to death at the local animal shelter. If you feed and shelter the cats outside, they will patrol the area and ensure that rabbits, mice, moles, and voles don’t cause you any more grief.
Yes, I am aware that some people are opposed to outdoor cats, but they carry out the same crucial function of pest control that native predators like foxes and wildcats used to carry out until industrialization reduced their numbers to a negligible level. The majority of outdoor cats’ prey is sad small creatures, however they do occasionally catch birds. Without Tigger (also known as “Fat Boy”), Squeeky (“the nasty cat”), and Dini (“the baby”), who were all personally rescued by us, spayed, vaccinated, and kept in excellent health, I could not garden in my wooded environment.
Dogs, particularly terriers, and particularly Jack Russell terriers, might be beneficial in this regard as their sole purpose in life is to keep your property free of rats and rabbits. Raptors are also there; simply build up a perch (across a beam about six feet off the ground), and hawks and owls will do what, exactly, hawks and owls DO.
Fencing:
Inauthentic is Bugs Bunny. He reveals that he is a European hare by his multi-level underground dwelling, despite the Brooklyn accent. American rabbits do not burrow or tunnel, therefore a fence that is a few feet high and whose bottom is buried in the ground (to prevent them from tunneling beneath it) will keep them out. Standard animal fencing, sometimes known as rabbit fencing, works well, but if baby rabbits start getting through, cover the bottom half with chicken wire.
Buy six foot high fencing and bury the bottom two feet deep in a trench decorated with hardware cloth to keep out little diggers if you’re being attacked by a variety of unpleasant creatures. This will keep out moles, voles, and other underground pests. The top foot of the stake should be bent outward at a 90-degree angle without support, three feet above the ground. This “baffle” can deter climbers like skunks, raccoons, and groundhogs.
Oh, and to prevent those rabbits from gnawing the bark off of tender young trees and shrubs throughout the winter, wrap their trunks in wire mesh. Make sure the protection extends at least a foot above the projected snowfall level.
Repellants: Because your priceless plants taste wonderful, herbivores consume them. Spraying the plants with anything repulsive will cause them to wander off and consume the petunias and pansies of the next-door neighbors. To ensure that new growth is always unpleasant, be sure to thoroughly coat the bottom of the plant, reapply the spray after a significant downpour, and repeat frequently throughout the season.
Gardeners claim that using commercial deer repellents produces excellent results against rabbits. The most effective means of preventing those enormous stomachs with legs from munching on your rhododendrons are products containing “putrescent egg solids” (yum! ), and I have a feeling that rabbits will feel the same way. Look for one that that includes hot pepper and garlic, such as Gardens Alive’s “DeerOff.”
You can try producing your own rabbit repellent by blending a few garlic cloves and a hot pepper in a pint of water, straining it, adding a drop of dishwashing liquid, horticultural oil, and insecticidal soap, shaking it, and spraying it. When I was the editor of Organic Gardening magazine, one of my readers reported that the neighborhood rabbits left after he mashed up a large batch of garlic in a bucket of water, had it ferment beneath window screening for a few days, strained it, then sprayed that highly pungent combination on his plants.
Other strategies that have been suggested over time include:
- pet or human hair all over your plants. Slugs will be killed by this for sure, and the hair will gradually replenish the soil with its nitrogen reserves, which feed plants.
- spreading dried blood meal, a naturally occurring fertilizer high in nitrogen that is sold in bags at garden supply stores, all around the plants. I’m currently spraying water and dried blood meal from the “Plantskydd” brand, which is marketed as a deer repellent, on my maize to stave off deer and perhaps even thieving raccoons. Although the mixing was quite gross, I anticipate that this liquid form will be more effective. A pre-mixed spray might work.
- Spreading rock phosphate in powder, another excellent organic fertilizer (this one induces lots of blooms).
- purchasing cayenne (hot) pepper shake in large quantities or crushing up a lot of peppers and distributing them at the base of the plants Take care to avoid breathing in a large cloud or getting any in your eyes. If you do, you will hear the sound of laughing squirrels and rabbits.
Finally, AVOID USING MOTHBALLS! (Unless you think having kidney cancer is fun.) The most repulsive poison a homeowner can purchase is these tiny pellets of hazardous trash, and if you read the label (use gloves when you pick up the box! ), you’ll see that they even implore you not to do it.
How can I prevent bunnies from consuming my petunias?
The most straightforward method of preventing flower-eating rabbits is to grow petunias above ground level. Petunias can be planted in tall raised beds or containers. If you’re growing a cascading petunia variety, like “Purple Wave,” place the flowers in hanging baskets or very tall pots.
What stops rabbits from consuming plant matter?
- Given that rabbits have such keen senses of smell, sprinkling powdered red pepper throughout the garden or on certain plants may deter them.
- It has been suggested that scattering shavings of Irish Spring soap throughout the garden in small drawstring bags can deter rabbits.
- By blending three fiery peppers, three sizable onions, and a whole amount of garlic, you can make a foul-tasting rabbit cocktail. Overnight, cover with water and place in a container. After straining, mix the ingredients with a gallon’s worth of water. Spray plants again after a rainstorm. Try commercial goods made with strong garlic oil as well.
- Spray one teaspoon of Lysol and one gallon of water around your plants.
- Some individuals use individual “tin can collars” or screens to protect plants, allowing them to grow to a less vulnerable size. For safety, wrap the collar around each stem.
- Use hardware cloth cylinders with a 1/4-inch mesh to prevent rabbits from nibbling on young fruit and ornamental trees. The cylinders should stand one to two inches away from the tree stem and be higher than a rabbit might reach when standing on the anticipated depth of snow.
- Some odor-based deer tactics are claimed to also be effective against rabbits. Commercially marketed deer repellents that combine dried bovine blood, sulfured eggs, and garlic will keep rabbits away.
- Try an old-fashioned rabbit cure and scatter big, clear glass jars of water throughout the garden. According to legend, rabbits are afraid of their own reflection. Reflectors and other items are offered by garden centers. Bunnies can be scared away from your plants with the help of lurking cats, phony snakes, and ominous owls.
- Humane traps can be the best option in some situations. (Take note that it can be against the law to capture and release wild animals in your region.) Consider creating a trap if you don’t want to purchase one. Put the trap in the area where you’ve noticed the rabbits eating or relaxing, then cover it with a canvas. Apples, carrots, cabbage, and other vibrantly green fruits and vegetables make great lures.
Plants That Rabbits Dislike
Experts on bunnies claim that rabbits have specific plant preferences based on a variety of factors, including flavor, nutritional value, the presence of poison or prickles, and accessibility. Not all plants are suitable for all rabbits because their interests in diet might vary by place and season. Be cunning and take care of plants that rabbits don’t find particularly appealing.
Rabbits frequently steer clear of certain plants that deer and Japanese beetles do. Check out our lists of deer-resistant plants and best and worst plants for Japanese beetles to learn which plants might work best for controlling all of these pests. For rabbits, pick plants like forsythia, lilac bushes, zinnias, daffodils, lavender, and snapdragons. Your rabbit population might be reduced as a result of this. Although planting these plants in your garden may make it less enticing than another, this is not a guarantee because hungry rabbits will consume practically anything. Additional plants that rabbits don’t like include:
Are petunias a draw for rabbits?
Forget about how cuddly, fluffy, and soft bunnies are. These creatures can be among a gardener’s most dreaded pests since they can destroy entire harvests in a single night. Young, fragile shoots are preferred by rabbits, which also enjoy lettuce, beans, and broccoli in particular. They enjoy nibbling on petunias, marigolds, pansies, and gazanias among other flowers. Young bunnies are naturally interested and like to try new plants, especially those that are said to be resistant to them. For advice on keeping rabbits out of your garden, continue reading.
Do petunias withstand bunny damage?
My marigolds were completely eaten by rabbits. What additional bright, long-blooming, rabbit-resistant flowers would you recommend? says Newton, New Hampshire resident Peggy Connors.
It can be upsetting to see your prized flowers devoured by animals. You are not the only one looking for a solution for a rabbit-proof flower garden.
(Check out these squirrel-proof feeders if squirrels are stealing all your bird seed.)
Since these animals’ eating habits might vary when their numbers are high and their food is in short supply, I am hesitant to list any plant as being resistant to rabbits. Additionally, be aware that what works in one garden could not in another. You found that although marigolds are frequently mentioned as flowers that are resistant to rabbits, this is not always the case. The simplest option is to add a variety of plants; even if rabbits choose to eat one kind, the other blooms can still supply the space with the necessary color.
There will probably be inconsistencies when comparing lists of plants that are resistant to rabbits, so bear that in mind. On many lists of plants that can withstand rabbits, ageratum, cleome, flowering tobacco, snapdragons, and verbenas are included. Additionally frequently mentioned as being resistant to deer and rabbits is Russian sage. Try wild petunia, pasque flower, and scarlet trillium as well. Both lists of vulnerable and resistant flowering plants for rabbits include zinnias.
Be prepared to introduce different types as necessary and keep track of what works in your garden.
Can bunnies be repelled by coffee grounds?
The environmentally friendly method of keeping unwanted animals and insects away from the garden is coffee. Ants, snails, and slugs are all repelled by the coffee’s aroma. Using coffee grounds to deter wildlife like cats, rabbits, and deer may also be effective.
Which odors do rabbits detest?
When they consume the plants, flowers, and shrubs you laboriously grew from seed in your garden, bunnies are considerably less adorable than when you see them hopping through the woods or in someone’s lawn. What can be done, then, to prevent these adorable tiny flower-eating insects?
Rabbits can locate readily available food sources thanks to their keen sense of smell. Use scents that they detest, such as garlic, vinegar, chili powder, predator urine, sulfur, blood meal, chives, lavender, geraniums, and wax begonias, to your benefit.
Continue reading to find out more about the fragrances that rabbits detest, how to use them, and other methods to stop those bothersome rodents from eating your plants.
What is a natural repellent for rabbits?
First, fill a one-gallon container, such a milk jug, with water to prepare the rabbit repellent. 5 garlic cloves should be crushed and added to the water. Add a tablespoon of dish soap and a teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Shake the container vigorously before putting it outside for two days in the direct sun.
Irish Spring soap: does it deter rabbits?
Slice the Irish Spring soap bar(s) into 1/2-inch cubes using a sharp knife. You don’t need to be precise, but you’ll need a lot of little pieces to treat your entire garden.
Each drawstring pouch should contain two pieces of soap. Pull the threads tightly to shut the pouches, and then tie the strings tightly to keep the soap inside in place. Alternately, enclose two pieces of soap in a cheesecloth square, form it into a pouch, and tie it off with string.
Attach one pouch with a strong staple or tape to the end of each wooden post. Around your lawn and garden, bury the opposite end of each stake 6 inches deep, placing them 5 to 10 feet apart. In areas with dense foliage or in locations where you’ve noticed rabbits or other animals frequently cause damage, space the stakes farther apart.
Alternatively, for a more covert alternative, place the drawstring bags under and close to the plants.
Over the next week, keep an eye out for any signs of plants that have been injured or eaten in the garden or on the lawn. Depending on the size of your garden and the number of deer, rabbits, and other animals in the area, you may need to use more Irish Spring soap to fend off pests. Be ready to place additional stakes to target busy locations.
Mice, rabbits, and deer are among the nuisance mammals that Irish Spring soap deters. Insect pests are not repelled by it. Additionally, although many have experienced fantastic results, it does not always entirely eradicate bugs. It’s definitely worth a try.
In the evening, what is consuming my petunia flowers?
Petunia plants are consumed at night by nocturnal animals like caterpillars, such as tobacco bloodworms or variegated cutworms. They injure the foliage by poking holes in the leaves, which makes it appear wilted and damaged. These insects can destroy entire petunia plants in one growing season if they are present in large numbers. See the section under How to Get Rid of Petunia Budworms for information on how to stop (or prevent) this.