Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow: Tips for Keeping Rabbits Out

A variety of animals thrive in Arizona’s year-round sunshine. The rabbit population is a good example – the warm climate means rabbits breed throughout the year. While these furry foragers are adorable, they can do a fair amount of damage to gardens, lawns and landscaping. Common signs include chewed plants, bare patches and burrowed holes. Keeping the damage to a minimum begins with keeping rabbits out. 

To begin, it is helpful to understand their behavior, breeding habits and the environmental impact of rabbits to better manage an intrusion on your property. In this blog, we will explore practical and humane strategies to keep rabbits at bay, protect your outdoor spaces and maintain a healthy lawn and garden. 

First things first, it is important to ensure rabbits are the culprit to blame for your patchy grass or missing veggies. The most telling sign that rabbits are responsible is rabbit feces left behind in impacted areas. Rabbit feces come in the form of small, round pellets. Another giveaway is chewed-up plants, especially tender plant shoots. Also, keep an eye out for bunny burrows (dug-up mounds of dirt) around lawns and gardens. 

Rabbit Prevention

The best form of pest control is always prevention. When it comes to rabbits, regular yard maintenance is key. Without stray or overgrown vegetation to snack on, rabbits will likely look elsewhere for their food. Rabbits also seek out tall grass, leaf piles and bushes to protect themselves from predators, so keeping things tidy sends them somewhere else for shelter. 

Below are some effective, humane ways to keep rabbits out of your yard and protect your garden:

Rabbit Repellants

Professional Deterrents

The simplest and most effective solution is to spread professional-grade rabbit deterrent around lawns and gardens. These products are small granules that work by emitting a scent that rabbits associate with predators, diseases or dead rabbits. These scents trigger their fear response, but humans only smell a mild scent that resembles fertilizer. Bug & Weed Mart carries a couple of different options to choose from, all of which are USDA certified organic and completely safe for children and pets to be around. They can be applied year-round and should be reapplied every 30-45 days. Stop by a Bug & Weed Mart store to talk to an expert who can help you find which product is right for your property. 

Homemade Deterrents

Cayenne pepper 

A simple way to keep rabbits out is by spreading cayenne pepper powder around the perimeter of your garden. The powdered pepper irritates their noses, sending them to snacking elsewhere.

Coffee Grounds

After enjoying your morning coffee, save the grounds to sprinkle around your lawn and garden. Rabbits do not like the strong scent of coffee grounds and avoid the areas where they are spread. As an added bonus, the coffee grounds will provide extra nutrients for your plants as they naturally compost.

Soap Shavings 

Similar to coffee grounds, strong-scented soaps like Irish Spring or Dial can help prevent rabbits from hanging around your plants.

Pet hair 

If you have any four-legged family members, their hair can also ward off rabbits. The smell and sight of cat or dog hair gives rabbits the impression a predator is in the area. On grooming day, simply take the shed fur from pets and spread it around the perimeter of your lawn or garden.

Devices

Sound Devices

Ultrasonic rabbit repellents are electronic devices that can be placed around the property. They emit a high-frequency sound that humans cannot hear but is highly aggravating to rabbits’ sensitive hearing. While dogs and cats can hear the ultrasonic rabbit repellents, they are not harmed or distressed by it. If you have small pets like guinea pigs, hamsters or reptiles, they can be negatively affected by these devices, so you may want to go a different prevention route. 

Decoy Predators 

Since rabbits are prey, they have a lot of enemies in the wilderness. Placing an owl or hawk statue overlooking your yard can help scare rabbits away. It is important to periodically move them around, so the rabbits don’t become too comfortable with their presence in a specific area. 

Protective Barriers

Build a Fence

One of the best things you can do to protect your lawn and garden is to build a secure fence. A rabbit-proof fence should be made of metal wire mesh since rabbits can easily chew through plastic or vinyl. Make sure any openings in the fence are less than 1 inch or rabbits will be able to squeeze through. To prevent the rabbits from digging underneath the fence, bury it at least 12 inches below ground.

Select Plants for Landscaping

Rabbits tend to avoid certain plants, so adding plants they dislike to your garden landscape can help control damage. Rabbits avoid herbs like lavender, rosemary and oregano, as well as flowers like marigolds or daffodils. Cacti and succulents are also good choices for landscaping because of their spikes and durability.

With a little effort and some proactive measures, it can be easy and affordable to safeguard your lawn and garden from rabbits. Bug & Weed Mart has been helping Valley residents DIY their lawn and garden protection for more than 40 years and has a team of knowledgeable experts ready to assist you with any pest and weed problems you have.