Cute as they may be, rabbits are nothing but a pest in your vegetable garden. They especially like peas and beans, but they'll eat other vegetables and plants as well. Here are some ways to keep rabbits out of your garden.
- Build a 2-foot (61-centimeter) high fence around your garden out of chicken wire. Extend it 3-feet (91-centimeters) high if there are jackrabbits in your area. Bury the bottom few inches (at least 5 centimeters) of fencing under the ground so rabbits can't burrow underneath. Make sure the mesh openings are no more than 1-inch (2.5-centimeters) wide so rabbits can't squeeze through [source: Olkowski].
- Install an electric fence.
- Protect individual trees and plants with a cylinder of mesh placed at least 2 inches (5 centimeters) away from the trees and plants. Tree guards, either commercial or homemade from jute bags or aluminum foil, can be used instead of mesh. [source: Olkowski]
- Repel the rabbits with aromas they dislike. These include dried blood and the urine or feces of any of their natural predators. You can buy dried blood and fox urine at garden supply stores. Fox blood can be sprinkled on cotton balls tied to your garden fence. You must reapply it after rain [source: Utt].
- Sprinkle vinegar, liquid chili powder or hot pepper flakes around your garden. You can also place vinegar-soaked corncobs around the garden. Re-soak the corncobs every two weeks and after rain.
- Spread human hair around the garden. In addition to deterring rabbits, the hair will break down into good fertilizer. Simply ask a hair salon for a bag of cut hair [source: Utt].
- Plant clover or plantain weeds near your garden, as rabbits will prefer these to your vegetables [source: Utt].
Some gardeners use mothballs or moth flakes to deter rabbits. However, these aren't safe to use around vegetables or if you have children around. [source: Utt]
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