How To Keep Rabbits Out Of The Garden Without A Fence

Rabbits can be cute, but they're also notorious garden pests that love to chew on flowers and veggies. Thousands of rabbits continue to destroy gardens and plantations around the world, but you don't need to be one of the victims.

By putting up a fence that is difficult for them to climb over and into your garden, you can save yourself a lot of trouble.

Today, however, we will discuss other natural ways to keep rabbits out of your garden without putting up a fence.

How To Tell If You Have A Rabbit Problem?

Even though rabbits don't like some plants, it's hard to say that any plant is 100% rabbit-proof. This is because rabbits are willing to eat almost anything and adjust to different situations.

However, most of us are aware that rabbits breed quickly. So, if you spot one rabbit in your garden, there are always more lurking nearby, ready to munch your crops.

In case you haven't seen them destroying your neatly planted crops, here are some signs to look for.

• The droppings are the size of peas,

• It appears as though the plants have been pruned rather than nibbled (rabbits have upper and lower teeth),

• There are no more tender young plants,

• Hoses or drip lines have been chewed on,

• Tree trunks or woody plants have been attacked by something that nibbles on their bark,

• You notice tufts of fur or spots where a small animal appears to have dug

How To Keep Rabbits Out of the Garden Without a Fence

Now that you know how to detect whether you have a rabbit infestation, let's talk about keeping rabbits out of your garden.

If building a fence seems like a lot of trouble, you can use any of the methods below:

Rabbit Repellent

In order to keep rabbits out of your garden, rabbit repellents are one of the easiest and safest methods.

Choosing a chemical repellent or a natural repellent will depend on how many rabbits you have and how long you want it to last.

You can make a rabbit repellent using the ingredients you already have in your kitchen. These ingredients include cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and dish soap.

Now, combine equal portions of these ingredients in a gallon of water and mix them well. Allow the mixture to dry for two days in the sun.

Drain the liquid and pour it into a spray container. Now you may spray the garden you want to protect.

However, since most rabbits visit the garden in the evening, you may spray at intervals in the early evening.

The majority of rabbit repellents are odor-based. That means bunnies dislike them and are less likely to devour your plants.

Alternatively, you can use flavor repellents. They are not poisonous to rabbits, although they are unpleasant to consume.

Plants Most Rabbits Hate

When you grow flowers and vegetables that rabbits like, keeping them out of your garden will be challenging.

Apples, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, peas, beans, swiss chard, and beets are among these veggies. There are, however, a few plants that rabbits despise.

Keep in mind that figuring out what works best in your garden may take trial and error. Plants that get along well with your neighbor might not be a good choice for your garden.

Some rabbit-repellent flowers include lavender, periwinkle, sage, sweet alyssum, daffodil, sunflower, lilac, lavender, butterfly bush, and cedar. You can plant rabbit-repellent flowers near edible flowers and vegetables for best results.

Animal Repeller Using Ultrasound

Like many other animals, rabbits can detect sounds that humans do not. Some ultrasonic frequencies are too high for people to hear, but rabbits will avoid an area if they hear them.

As a result, this humane pest repellent works well on rabbits. You can stake a rabbit repeller into the ground within a 30-foot radius to keep rabbits at bay.

These repellers come with pest-deterring LED lights powered by a solar panel. When there isn't much sunshine throughout the day, it also features batteries and a USB charger.

To save money and worry, hang some cans on a line so that they make a noise when the wind blows. This sound causes them to flee and scares them away from returning.

Remove Any Available Cover

Long grass, litter, and dense plant growth provide cover for rabbits. You can make your yard less enticing to rabbits by eliminating any accessible cover.

For this purpose, mow the grass regularly and rake the leaves afterward. Additionally, remove weeds to prevent overgrowth.

If you have a deserted burrow in your backyard, you can load it with gravel. Rabbits take over many burrows, particularly in cold or rainy weather.

You can keep the space as open as possible, so they don't find your garden appealing.

Spray Hair Clippings Around The Garden

The odor of hair also repulses rabbits. When they notice it, it keeps them at a distance. However, you do not have to use human hair, and you can make do with pet hair clippings.

Spray your garden liberally, particularly at the entrances. This strategy is most effective when used in conjunction with other techniques.

As you may know, strong winds can easily blow the hair clippings away from your garden.

Leave Snakes in Your Garden 

We know you're scared and wondering how you’d get a snake in the first place. But hear us out: you don’t necessarily need a live snake.

Instead, you can use fake ones to keep rabbits away. Simply place a few in strategic locations with the highest chances of a rabbit infestation. You'll be shocked at how quickly the rabbit disappears into another yard.

Does this seem too good to be true? Well, you better believe it because it has been proven that the sight of snakes scares rabbits away from gardens.

So, place some artificial snakes in your garden and watch the fantastic results.

Be Loving To The Rabbit

Like humans, rabbits get hungry too. And when they don’t find a suitable option to satisfy their hunger, they may take the anger out on your garden.

However, you can prevent this by incorporating them into your compound's plantation. Plant what they like far away from your garden, and your crops will remain safe.

Even though this will not stop them from eating your plants right away, it may work faster when used with other methods.

Take Care Of Potential Nesting

Female rabbits are known to have more than ten offspring at a time. The more rabbits you have in your complex, the more likely your garden will be attacked. The solution is to eliminate any possible mating spots.

If you see rabbits assembling on your property too frequently, it's best to break up their gatherings.

However, if you find rabbits breeding in your territory, avoid going near them unless you’re trained to handle such situations. Instead, call your local animal control.

A Visual Deterrent 

Tie strips of aluminum foil to a thread that runs between two poles. It's best to transfer them to various locations so that the rabbits don't shun one spot and seek out a safer one.

Trapping

When catching rabbits, you must determine whether you want to do it humanely or use traps that kill them.

If you've tried other techniques that haven't worked, there is still another option to keep rabbits out of your garden.

The first option is to keep a dog or cat on your property or physically remove the bunnies. Additionally, you can place the dog or cat's hair in a bag or stocking and set it throughout your garden. This will make the rabbits believe there is bait waiting for them.

However, it might be beneficial to change the bags regularly when it rains. You can get more specific instructions on applying it in your garden from your local groomer.

This approach works well in areas with a moderate to low rabbit population. In addition, when food is scarce in the winter, your trap bait is more enticing.

Place your trap near plants that rabbits like to eat or in an area where they inflict substantial damage. Move the rabbit at least five miles away from your house, if permitted by local laws.

Conclusion

Remember that the damage a rabbit causes can help you figure out if it is eating your plants.

They kill flowers, foliage, and stems with sharp, diagonal slashes that seldom go higher than a rabbit can reach, typically around 2 feet. To prevent a full-scale rabbit invasion, you need to act as soon as you notice a problem.

Keep in mind that rabbits reproduce quickly, and one pair of rabbits may generate up to 18 kits in a year!

Now you know how to keep rabbits out of your garden and save your plants, flowers, trees, and vegetables.

Incorporate these repellent techniques into your garden-maintenance plan to keep rabbits at bay for years to come.