How to Keep Rabbits Out of a Lawn & Garden

When your customers see a rabbit in their yard, it’s usually just the tip of the iceberg. In most cases, where there is one rabbit, there are plenty more.

Even just one rabbit can be the difference between a perfectly pruned garden overflowing with vegetables and a garden that is in shreds featuring vegetables with a few too many bites out of them.

Worse than frost or strong winds, those unassuming bunnies can mow down an entire row of beans in one night – and they just keep coming back!

Plus, garden plants aren’t the only thing to worry about. These little fluffy-tailed critters will tear the bark right off trees. To say a rabbit’s appetite is voracious is a bit of an understatement, and their tastes are less than discerning. Nothing is safe from a rabbit’s destruction.

From shoots and grasses to roots and berries … if it’s within their reach, a rabbit will usually eat it. We have some ideas to help keep rabbits out of your yard and away from your garden next season.

6 Simple Tricks to Keep Rabbits Out of the Yard and Garden

Most gardeners struggle with rabbits, and the information available on the topic can be confusing at best. Some people say planting soybeans will repel rabbits, while others say soybeans attract them. Others recommend spraying a “tea” made from cow manure and water … yuck! So where can your customers start? Try these ideas:

1. Clean up the yard and garden: Rabbits will typically only choose dining areas that offer good cover. To eliminate the rabbit-friendly conditions, keep the landscape weeded, trimmed and clear of brush piles. High grass should also be mowed. Additionally, block access underneath porches with chicken wire.
2. Apply scent and taste deterrents: Use a rabbit repellent on the areas of your yard where you see damage as well as areas that offer good rabbit cover. Granular and spray repellents from Safer^® Brand affect rabbits’ taste and sense of smell to drive them away.
3. Install an electronic repellent: To protect large areas of a property humanely, try an electronic repellent. Motion-activated deterrents use bursts of water to startle rabbits and condition them to stay away.
4. Use tree guards: To protect your trees from rabbit destruction during the winter months, try covering them with tree guards. Simply wrap the lowest portion of the tree trunk up to 2 feet above the height of the deepest snow expected.
5. Plant marigolds and garlic: Long-trusted home remedies, these two plants have been known to deter rabbits when grown in a garden.
6. Put up a fence: While not always an attractive method, a fence is effective – especially an electric fence, which will zap any tresspassers when they approach your favorite plants. Another option is a garden-friendly mesh or chicken wire fence placed around the perimeter of a garden.