Rabbits are cute until they get into your garden. Thankfully there are several ways to keep rabbits out of your garden naturally.
There is something about sitting down in the summer, eating a fresh salad topped with ripe crisp vegetables and juicy homegrown tomatoes straight from your own backyard garden.
How many times have you walked out to your garden to find that those pesky rabbits have helped themselves to your growing plants? I walked out to hang laundry in the backyard very late one night and found a team of rabbits eating my green bean plants. I’d be fibbing if I said I wasn’t mad.
My green beans were growing fabulously and I was puzzled why they were suddenly looking quite odd.
The next day I threw together some hot sauce and water so I could have my plants back again. It works beautifully for me here in Phoenix.
If you find yourself with the same rabbit problem, here are some natural tips to keep them out of your garden.
Clear the Surroundings
Do you spend a lot of time out in your garden? Do not forget to keep up with the areas surrounding your garden as well. Especially, if you have tall grass, piles of sticks and twigs, or other debris nearby. Unnecessary debris provides the perfect shelter for rabbits to hide out in safety, while they wait to mow down on the green goodness ahead of them.
If you have bushes, transplant them to an area elsewhere in your yard. This helps to make sure that the garden surroundings are clear, so the rabbits will not feel as safe there.
Let Your Pets Guard Your Garden
When you head out daily to tend to your garden, bring your beloved furry pal with you. Whether you have cats or dogs, bring them out with you to walk the garden. Allow them to lounge around the garden and hang out with you because this might scare off the rabbits. Hey, it’s worth a try! Your dog or cats efforts might surprise you!
Of course, your pet doesn’t have to harm or eat the rabbit. Just the pure sight of the rabbit seeing your pet is enough to keep them away.
On this note, also ask a local groomer for pet hair clippings. This may sound silly, but by spreading the fur around your garden, this may also scare the rabbits to a safer area to munch on grass and dandelions.
Lead Rabbits Away
Rabbits are going to find your yard, whether you feed them or not. One way to make sure the rabbits stay away from your garden is to lead them elsewhere on your property. Take your rotten lettuce leaves, carrot tops, and other veggies that are not up to par and place them on the opposite side of your yard.
Decorate With Pinwheels
Yes, the cheap little pinwheels and whirligigs that you can find at the dollar store make great deterrents for rabbits! They will not know whether the motion and noise of the pinwheels is a predator, or something else.
Even better, they are inexpensive and effective without being harmful.
Mesh Fencing
One of the best ways to keep those furry critters out of the garden is by lining it with a mesh fence. Just be sure the mesh is tight enough so that baby bunnies cannot squeeze through, high enough to not be jumped over, and buried 6-12 inches below ground, to keep bunnies from digging their way in.
This “natural way” takes a little more work, but it’s worth it.
Hot Sauce or Pepper
This is one of my favorite methods because we tend to have hot sauce on hand all the time. Rabbits despise hot sauce, and so we use that to deter them from nibbling on the plants.
Use one single tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce with a gallon of water and give it a good shake. Pour into a spray bottle and spray liberally around the leaves and base of the plant. The rabbits will not come close to the plant after sensing the smell of the hot sauce.
Likewise, you can also mix 2 Tbsp cayenne pepper, 2 Tbsp garlic powder and a squirt of dish soap in a 20 oz spray bottle with water. Spray liberally on your plants to deter rabbits. It works just as well
Have you ever had rabbits invade your garden?
What are some things you do to keep them away?
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