Love the Easter Bunny, but not in your garden? If you plant a patch of Swiss chard away from your garden, bunny rabbits will be thrilled and content to eat the Swiss chard rather than your garden. Make it a good size patch, if possible, as you want the rabbits (wild only) to have plenty of Swiss chard to last as long as possible.
Do not feed domestic rabbits Swiss chard or lettuce for that matter, as it will give them diarrhea and they will die. Wild rabbits are use to eating this type of foliage and don't get sick. Growing up on a rabbit farm, it was important that wild rabbit's not be hanging around the domestic rabbit's as they could bring disease. My father would always plant a field of Swiss chard, way down in the north forty, so all the critters would be happy. Wild rabbits stayed away from our gardens, close to the house, as well.
By Suzy from Clinton, TN
Editor's Note: We could find no evidence that chard was dangerous for domestic rabbits. There was a small amount of concern about the oxalic acid content and it was suggested to limit the amount of dark leafy greens (spinach, beet greens, etc.).
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Hardiness Zone: 9a
Limner from Katy, TX
The most effective long-term way to control rabbits is to fence off individual plants or erect a small fence around the entire garden. Chicken wire is inexpensive and can be effective at keeping out other small critters, too. You said the rabbit you discovered is young. Since rabbits are such a prolific species, it's likely that there are other young brothers and sisters nearby.
Rabbits are sometimes difficult to live trap in the summer because of an abundance of available food. Try baiting your traps with fresh vegetables like carrots, lettuce, cabbage, Brussels sprouts or apples. You might consider sprinkling a few drops of vanilla or apple cider around the trap to mask any residual human scent. Live trapping can be an effective short-term solution, but keep in mind that when you empty a habitat of one animal, another from the outer fringes tends to move in to take advantage of the opening near the food source. This is why residential hunting of squirrels in some parts of the country seldom works-at least not for long. Removing the "inner-city" squirrels only creates the competition for the "country" squirrels, which eventually migrate into the city to set up residence near the food supply.
Good luck!
Ellen
I purchased a rabbit trap today, baited it and then we had a storm. I checked it earlier tonight and the trap was still set. If I catch it I plan to release it in the country not far from us. I hope lettuce works as bait. Any suggestions?
I say a fence too. You can even buy cheap chicken wire. It worked for me when we had a garden. It kept my tomato loving dog out too!
Blood or blood and bone meal scattered around the garden. they do not like the scent
can be purchased at a garden centre
It is a good fertilizer as well
You can usually borrow a Hav-A-Heart trap from the humane society, animal control, or extension service. However, if you've got one young one, you've probably got the rest of the litter nearby. Some people bury chicken wire about a foot deep all around the fenceline so they can't dig under it. Don't know where you stand on animals, but rabbits make good eating, and meat is more expensive than tomatoes and such.
Hair! Yes human hair has done the trick for me for years. After giving my children and husband hair cuts I spread the hair throughout the garden. This also keeps other pesty animals out of the garden. If you don't cut your family's hair you might ask your hair stylist to save it for you. No munching critters in my garden... can't say the same for my neighbors though. oh... don't eat wild animal meat this time of the year. Ticks are heavy this time of year and carry several very ugly diseases that they spread to animals. I myself don't hunt but know a lot of hunters who advise not to eat wild animal meat during tick season.
We used chicken wire as fencing...didn't even bury it in the ground...just strung it tight from one post to another. It kept out the groundhogs, rabbits and deer (mostly...'til they started jumping the fence).
I have a degree in landscape horticulture. My husband and I just bought our own home last year and this year I installed close to 50 young new perennials, to discover the next morning more than half munched rt down to the ground. Here are some quick and easy humane ways to rid of rabbits (I had to go dust off some old notebooks from school!)
Fencing, and burying it 6-8" deep, but of course make sure you have the smaller holes, like an 1" or so, and that you have no seams, otherwise rabbits will outsmart you. (by digging the fencing 6-8" underground and using something such as chicken wire you will not only keep out rabbits but also moles).
The next several items should be done in the evening since rabbits are night feeders:
Trapping would work but if you do have a family of rabbits you are going to be making a habit of trapping constantly. Also, the rabbits will be munching on plants before they make their way to the traps. Rabbits also eat some of our weeds and do offer a balance to the environment. So I would recommend the following on each of the plants we want rabbit-proofed:
Human hair does work well and I had remembered this, so I decided it was time for my hubby to have a haircut. I stuffed hair in amongst the foliage and around the base of each plant. Only prob, blew away easily after a couple of days. But also understand it keeps other critters away such as deer, groundhogs, and poss even moles.
Bone meal or blood meal sprinkled around the base of the plants, it also adds extra nutrients to the soil. Don't work it into the soil though or it won't be as effective. May need to reapply weekly or so, and it doesn't look as nice to see the white (from the bone meal) if you have an attractive flower border.
Black pepper, if you mist your plants first, or after you water your garden, sprinkle black pepper on the damp leaves and around the base of the plants. I have found that more finely ground pepper works better. Needs to be redone after rain or watering. Neighbors might look at you funny out in the garden with your pepper shaker, but hey, they'll be moaning the next day when their gardens were dined on by rabbits. This method is also good at keeping other pests and insects away from plants, as well as the next method, especially for aphids and other plant eating insects.
Hot pepper concoction. In a blender, put one part tobasco sauce (the hotter the better), 3 parts water, and throw in a fresh garlic clove or two and a couple of drops of dawn or ivory dishsoap in a blender. Strain and put in a spray bottle and spray on plants. Needs to be redone after rain or watering. This is my preferred method, since I go out in the garden everyday anyhow, and this method also protects from so many other garden pests.
Another note: Rabbits don't normally eat tomatos, but groundhogs, and even a desparate raccoon would be more likely culprits. There are also several insects that could leave marks on a tomato similar to rabbits teeth, such as the Horned catipillar You may want to if it happens again take the alleged tomato to a respected and educated garden center or college extention center for it's culprits identification.
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I have a small area on my property shaded with old maple trees. It's my summer hangout. I try to make it more pleasant by growing flowers beneath the trees.
I took this picture of a wild rabbit in a grass field in Mason County, WV.
We found this rabbit nest when working in the garden. There were three of them and they were really cute, running around.
While strolling through the property at my father's vacation home, I came across this beautiful wild rabbit just sitting in the green grass having a snack. I zoomed in on him and discovered how beautiful he really is, healthy and alert.
My front lawn is a mess. I hauled in soil to level and raise it, so as to better tie it in with my adjoining vacant field. So, is there a real point of interest in this 'work in progress'? Yes. I didn't plant those scraggly petunias in the near corner. They are volunteers. Could they be hiding something? You betcha!
