Request: Rabbits Eating Flowers and Plants
Archived on 10/09/2009
We're having a lot of trouble with rabbits eating all our plants. Any ideas? Thanks.
HeatherD
Answer:
You may need to employ a variety of tactics to achieve success. If it repels rabbits, it should also deter gopher and woodchucks. Here are several ideas:
1. Fences: This is really the only foolproof method for protecting your garden from rabbits. Fencing should be 4 ft tall and extend at least 6 inches into the ground. Use metal wire with an inch mesh and you will keep them out.
2. Bloodmeal or bonemeal: This gives rabbits the impression hungry predators may be lurking nearby. Sprinkle this on top of the soil or fill cheesecloth bags and hang them from trees and shrubs.
3. Hair: Collect discarded human or pet hair and spread it around the perimeter of susceptible plants. Again, rabbits become leery that hungry predators may be in the vicinity.
4. Mason jars: Some gardeners swear that placing Mason jars in 3 foot intervals around the perimeter of your garden will keep rabbits out.
5. Vinegar and corncobs: Soak corncob halves in vinegar for 24 hours and place them around the garden. Save the leftover vinegar and resoak the corncobs every two weeks to keep rabbits at bay.
6. Powdered fox urine: This stuff may not sound very appealing to work with, but exploiting the rabbit's natural fear of the fox is a good strategy. Find this at your local garden center.
7. Tree guards: These are available in home and garden centers, but are easy to make yourself using foil, or window screen. Wrap the trunks of susceptible trees to a height of at least 2 ft above the deepest level of normal snowfall.
8. Try planting Mexican marigolds or garlic.
9. Rotten eggs: Blend 4 eggs, 4 cloves of garlic, 4 tbsp. of Tabasco with 4 cups of water. Allow this to ferment in the hot sun for a few days and then pour around susceptible plants. You may not be able to stand the smell, but neither will the rabbits. Reapply it rains.
Many commercial repellents are available in the form of sprays or powders. These work on the premise that rabbits won't eat something that tastes or smells bad, and usually contain garlic and/or cloves. You will find a wide variety of repellents at home centers and feed stores.
Although rabbits will eat anything (and everything) if food sources become scarce, some plants have been found to be less appealing to their pallet. Contact your local extension agency for recommendations on which rabbit-resistant trees, shrubs and plants grow best in your zone.
Good luck.
Ellen
About The Author: Ellen Brown is an environmental writer and photographer and the owner of Sustainable Media, an environmental media company that specializes in helping businesses and organizations promote eco-friendly products and services. Contact her on the web at http://www.sustainable-media.com
Feedback:
RE: Rabbits Eating Flowers and Plants
My domestic rabbits devour garlic leaves. It seems odd that they're being recommended to repel wild rabbits. (06/17/2008)
By Eddy
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Request: Rabbits Eating Flowers and Plants
Archived on 06/05/2008
How can I keep rabbits from eating my plants? They eat everything:
vegetables, flowers, shrubs, ornamental grasses.
Hardiness Zone: 7b
Alicia from Raleigh, NC
Answers:
RE: Rabbits Eating Flowers and Plants
HOT PEPPER: If you go to an Asian, Mexican or Chinese store you can usually buy large 1 pound bags of Crushed Red Pepper for fairly cheap. You can make a spray (a "tincture") to use in a large 2 gallon plant sprayer or a simple small hand sprayer, Just take any container (with a lid) that's large enough to hold the crushed red pepper you've bought, then barely cover the crushed red pepper, black pepper or cayenne pepper with any form of alcohol (like denatured or rubbing alcohol, vodka cost to much!) Just buy whatever kind of rubbing alcohol you can find on sale, then leave the Hot Pepper in the Alcohol for at least several days up to 2 weeks or more. The longer it sets, the stronger it gets. Shake or mix it around once every day or 2. Then after it's sat for a while, strain it with a coffee filter, or any kind of wire strainer, or cheese cloth or whatever works, into a "holding" container. NEXT: strain this alcohol/pepper tincture into a spray bottle or garden sprayer (you can add a bit of water if you want to make it go further) Next, spray this "Hot-Pepper Tincture" on to the plants that the rabbits like to eat. This hot pepper spray also works to keep cats & dogs & maybe deer out of your garbage & flower beds. In fact, I'm wondering if you can just buy the "Pepper-Spray" stuff you spray on Attackers & Thieves... It may cost more, but it might also work.
WARNING: Please use care! WEAR EYE PROTECTION or at least a pair of sun glasses. You don't want to splash this on you, or have the wind blow it into your eyes while you're spraying it & wash your hands REALLY GOOD after handling this stuff! You don't want to touch your eyes, your face or any place sensitive after handling this nasty stuff! In fact wearing gloves would be a good idea while mixing & pouring this stuff.
* The GOOD news is, it's not bad for the environment & you can wash it off of vegetables you are growing for food before you eat them without it hurting you... Just hose the veggies off before picking them, then wash again before cooking with them...
* The BAD news is, rain will was it away & you'll have to do it again & again. You may be able to just sprinkle pieces of crushed red peppers on top of the flower beds, but then I'd be afraid the wind could possibly blow it into your eyes... so I'd probably stick with the alcohol/pepper tincture spray.
---> A second option: is those noise makers & spinners that send noise into the ground.
,p>A third option: There's a thing called "Rabbit Scram"... Read their advertisement, it says "If it doesn't work, you don't pay"... I think it's something that smells like the pee from an animal that hunts rabbits? but I really don't know... They also say it lasts for 45 days because it's rain resistant. It's granules that require no mixing.
RABBIT SCRAM:
http://www.rabbitscram.com/Managing_rabbits_in_your_landscape.asp
A 4th idea: I've read that rabbits like to feed at night, so you might be able to put a motion detector in your garden with a flood light that comes on (or talk radio?) when the rabbits come near? Just a thought. (03/06/2008)
By Cyinda
RE: Rabbits Eating Flowers and Plants
I've heard (but haven't tried yet) that if you ask your barber/hair dresser for a bag of clippings & scatter it around your garden/plants, it will keep the critters away. Some thing about the human smell & the feel of it in their whiskers & mouth. I think I'm going to try it this year. (03/06/2008)
By doodles
RE: Rabbits Eating Flowers and Plants
I am infested with rabbits. They are cute but pests. I have tried the homemade Pepper spray. It works but you have to reapply it on the plants after the rain but it does work. (03/06/2008)
By
RE: Rabbits Eating Flowers and Plants
I do several things. Dog and cat hair, as well as human hair scattered about the garden (ask friends for animal hair and hair brush hair ) I also outline the perimeter with blood meal, (available at garden centers) and also figure that the little critters need a bite now and then too, so I put out lettuce and carrots in a spot as far away as I can from my other plants. I slow the squirrels done the same way...put treats out for them far away from my bird feeders and bulbs I have planted (they like to dig up and eat flower bulbs)
All of us have to live together :0) (03/06/2008)
By gardenlady58102
RE: Rabbits Eating Flowers and Plants
They are really easy to fence out. The fence only needs to be two feet tall, and farm stores sell that fencing. (03/07/2008)
By kimhis
RE: Rabbits Eating Flowers and Plants
Try planting marigolds. The scent is suppose to deter bunnies! Hope this helps. (03/07/2008)
By kamerz
RE: Rabbits Eating Flowers and Plants
The fence is your best bet. Just make sure to bury about a foot of it underground to deter burrowing. The pepper spray seems to work but you have to constantly reapply it making it a lot of trouble. Although my sister seemed to think her rabbits enjoyed a spicy diet if memory serves me right. Or you could create a structure akin to a cold frame but covered with chicken wire and put it right over the vegetables - kind of like a mini fence. Good luck! (03/15/2008)
By Luna Llena Feliz
RE: Rabbits Eating Flowers and Plants
My master gardener neighbors suggest human urine. That is, the man of the house walks around the perimeter of the garden and "marks" it as his own territory, like a dog. I told him some things are definitely men's work. (04/11/2008)
By Jantoo
RE: Rabbits Eating Flowers and Plants
Grate up the original Irish Spring and scatter it around the beds. It lasts quite awhile if you don't have alot of rain. Don't know how Green it is, but it works. (04/14/2008)
By PrairieLady
RE: Rabbits Eating Flowers and Plants
Sorry, most of these ideas have not worked for me. The rabbits love the hot pepper spray and have eaten a new shrub down to the ground overnight. Then attacked coral bells in the same area (also sprayed), then the hydrangea. Garden store tried to tell me that they don't like these things. They must like the pepper spray. (05/27/2008)
By Pat
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Request: Rabbits Eating Flowers and Plants
Archived on 03/06/2008
Rabbits are eating my flower tops and tomato plants.
Can anyone help?
Poopsey
Answers:
RE: Plants Eating Flowers and Plants
I always plant marigolds around my garden because I've heard that rabbits don't like the smell of them. You could try that. (06/06/2005)
By luv2craft
RE: Rabbits Eating Flowers and Plants
Rabbits love marigold flowers. Sorry but nice try. (07/13/2007)
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