Protecting Plants From Rabbits

Tips for keeping bunnies out of gardens from the ThriftyFun community.

Use Hair Clippings

Go to your local hair salon and ask them for a bag of hair sweepings. Get a large bag full and spread it around the perimeter of your garden. You may have to repeat this after each rain fall but as a hair stylist, I know that we always have plenty to spare at the shops where I have worked. Many folks around my town know that animals do not like the scent of humans and will avoid it at all costs. Also, the hair is biodegradable and will nourish you garden as well. This is free and a easy solution to prevent wild critters from entering your garden.

By Honeydoya

Chicken Wire

Surround the garden with a chicken wire fence. Bury about 4-5 inches of it into the ground to keep bunnies from digging under it.

By Carol

Sweet Alyssum

I was told that bunnies don't like sweet alyssum because of the sweet scent. Where I live, we don't have a rabbit problem. Just scatter the little white seeds among the plants, they re-seed and grow with no problems.

By Rosebud

Marigolds

Bunnies do not like marigolds. You could plant them around the edge of your garden!

By michelle h

Bury A Bottle

I've heard that planting an empty beer or soda bottle wih just enough of the neck exposed for the wind to make it whistle will scare them away.

By Siris

Plastic Snakes

I read that if you purchase a couple of plastic snakes from the dollar store and put them into your garden, it will keep the bunnies from entering the area. Good Luck.

By Watinwood

Several Bunny Proofing Ideas

I have heard that you can put hot sauce in a spray bottle with some water on the plants and that can ward off their little taste buds. I have also heard to buy plastic snakes and put them in the garden. I haven't personally tried either one. I usually put up a wire bunny proof fence bought at the local hardware store. This year my husband cut the bottoms out of some 5 gal. buckets and placed them over the tomato plants while they were still small. Push them down a tad bit into the dirt. This kept the plants out of reach. Typically, I only seem to have trouble with my tomato plants, not my lettuce, which you think would be the main problem.

By momof2girls

Urine

If you're not thrilled about spreading your hair clippings around, human urine works as well. I try to remember to take a late-evening whiz in the mulch near my Asian Daylillies every now and then. The local rabbit now understands that it's my territory and doesn't munch on them anymore.

Wolf urine works too, but it's very inconvenient to chain a wolf in your yard and force him to drink coffee. I haven't tried it.

By Backyardigan

Feedback

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By Dee (Guest Post) 06/26/2008

Trust me! Rabbits like marigolds, particularly the large light yellow ones. I could send you photos of my once beautiful marigolds that have been "decapitated". Once the flowers were gone, they went for the green. I'm down to nubs in places. I'm gong to build cages around them, and see how that goes. I decided I would take the ugly cages and be a little creative. Take some gems and wire and dangle them from the wire.

By Emilt (Guest Post) 05/19/2008

I heard that you can put pickle juice around your plants, rabbits do not like the smell.

By Joan (Guest Post) 04/27/2008

Someone said that sprinkling baby powder will keep them at bay..........worth a try!

By Danielle (Guest Post) 04/22/2008

Go to your local supermarket and buy a big container of cayenne pepper. Spread around garden. This will keep your bunnies out.

By Bikebrains (Guest Post) 09/19/2007

I found that Cutter (R) Bug Free Backyard (R) Concentrate insecticide works as a rabbit repellent. The insecticide is a liquid that is applied using a hose-end sprayer so the application of the liquid is simple and cheap. Before I sprayed my yard, Mr and Mrs Rabbit plus their three bunnies ate, soiled and dug in my backyard. With all of the rabbit dens that they dug my yard was becoming a rabbit housing subdivision. Mr and Mrs Rabbit had zero fear of me because they knew that I could not catch them. Then I sprayed the yard for mosquitoes. The Empire struck back! Two weeks have passed since I sprayed the yard and I have not seen a single rabbit.

By Redbud (Guest Post) 05/18/2007

Plant daffodil bulbs around and in the garden. Daffodil bulbs are poisonous, and the rabbits will avoid them and what is around them, too.

By (Guest Post) 05/18/2007

Get yourself a dog that loves to chase bunnies. They will learn FAST where the dog lives and will leave your flowers alone. JMHO

http://www.MyBerryTree.com/bt97975

By 05/18/2007

My rabbit problem was so severe that in the spring I could shovel their little poop pellets like manure. I had an entire rabbit condominium underneath my hedges. Hair and hot pepper never stopped them. My cats would have stopped them, but they are indoor cats only. My problem went away when a neighbor began trapping them in Have-a-heart traps and releasing them somewhere miles away.

By iggits (Guest Post) 05/17/2007

I'm glad to hear that some of you have had good luck with marigolds and sweet alyssium. Your rabbits must be more agreeable than the ones in my yard. My rabbits EAT the marigolds, geraniums, herbs, garlic, peppers...and anything else that happens to get in their way. They gnawed a hole in my wooden fence. They climb the stairs to my deck and eat my potted plants. If I yell at them and try to chase them out of my yard, they just look at me and keep eating. They DON"T run! I can run close enough to smack their little cottontails and nothing scares them. I'm considering rabbit stew for dinner!! Any suggestions for managing "mutant killer rabbits"? (You may think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not.)