Rabbits.... Grrr...

[StephandOwen]

Alright, hit me with your best ideas on how to get rid of the darn rabbits. They're nibbling on my garden (totally ate my ds's strawberry plant, ate a ton of leaves off my pepper plants, ate some of my ds's carrot tops and is scraping (either with teeth or feet) zucchini so they just rot). It's starting to really piss me off. I bought some "rabbit repellent" from a garden center but it's totally not working. I've tried sprinkling pepper on the ground, but it's not worked. I went out there this morning and the darn things have made a little burrow type thing in the middle of my tomato plants! I just read they hate the smell of bar soap so I threw one in the hole they made.

Any other ideas? I can't put a fence around the garden.

[TulsiLeaf]

i found this



One of the best "homemade" organic rabbit repellents is the soiled cat litter from a cat that has killed and eaten wild animals. Spread such cat litter, while still fresh, around your landscaping trees or garden once a week.

Another commercial rabbit repellent that can be used safely on food crops is Hinder. Hinder's active ingredients are ammonium soaps of higher fatty acids. Thiram repellent, however, is dangerous, and it can be used only on ornamental plants.

Remember, too, that some plants function as "natural pest repellents," at least in terms of saving their own hides. Many of the same plants that are rabbit-resistant are also avoided by deer. In the case of some of these plants, it's easy to see why: although natural, they're poisonous (yes, to humans, too). For this reason, deer and rabbits will generally leave alone foxglove (Digitalis) and monkshood (Aconitum), for example.

In the case of other "natural pest repellents," rabbits avoid them not because they're poisonous, but because they don't smell good -- to rabbits, at least. Aromatic herbs such as lavender (Lavendula) may send humans scurrying for their potpourri supplies, but they send rabbits just plain scurrying! And if you aren't keen on spreading your cat's litter around the yard as a repellent, at least install some catnip plants, or "catmint" (Nepeta) for puss. Rabbits don't like the smell of catnip. Nor will they like the smell of a garden frequented by a catnip-craving cat. It's also a lot of fun to see cats going crazy over their catnip!

[Chicky2]

Is a shotgun not working?

**seriously not meant to be offensive. we raise our own meat rabbits**

[DecemberSun]

I've heard that "marking the territory" around your garden area might help. Not sure if it really works, but it can't hurt.

I've also heard that rabbits don't care for marigolds or garlic chives, so we have ample amounts of both in our garden. The rabbits come into the yard but (so far) not the garden.

Good luck with those pesky things! They sure are cute, but man are they devistating to plants! Out here in Arizona the cottontail population is rampant and it's hard to keep things alive in the ground after the little nibblers discover them. Hope you find a soltuion!

[mattemma04]

Try some of these:
http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/Critter_Problems.htm

I have issues with rabbits.My dogs found a nest of 5 right in the middle of my yard.I gave the bunnies 2 weeks of no dogs,and the nest is now empty.Now they are on their own,because I let the dogs patrol the yard all night and morning. If they can't get away they are extra protein for my dogs, hawks, or the coons.

In time I expect(hope) rabbits will learn to stay on the other side of the fence.

I hate to do it,but I don't grow everything to have them ruin it.

[nolansmummy]

Hair works well.
I put some spread around my garden and the bunnies haven't been back.