Four Ways to Repel Rabbits in the Garden

When I was little, I rooted for Peter Rabbit as he narrowly escaped Mr. McGregor’s garden. How could anything so cute be so detested? Thing is, I wasn’t a gardener back then and there was nothing to lose. Boy have things changed and my opinion of these critters has done a total one-eighty. Case in point. I found myself on airgundepot.com yesterday weighing my options. That’s where my head is right now. Homicidal. It’s my knee-jerk reaction to seeing my craspedia, kniphofia, allium, coneflower and roses mowed to the ground. If you could see the destruction, you’d understand. At least I hope you might. Before you contemplate unfollowing me, please hang in there. I have a few ways to repel rabbits that don’t involve firearms.

Gardening is hard work which is why I have so much animosity for the rabbit. Make that rabbits with an “s”. If you check out my blog archive, I’ve written about rabbits several times but this year is the worst. When the Chinese calendar designated 2023 as the Year of the Rabbit, they weren’t kidding. Little did I know there would be a literal manifestation occurring in my own backyard.

The fact of the matter is, I haven’t the heart to kill anything and I would feel completely awful exacting revenge on such cute creatures. Cute as they are though, the destruction they leave is unforgiveable. But I have a few ways to repel rabbits and one involves me running barefoot around the garden waving my hands and yelling. It’s a last resort but man is it a release! Some people manage stress with mindful breathing and happy thoughts. I rather enjoy the provocation and often feel lighter after such primal moments. My kids think it’s hilarious and my oldest, she’s 21, recently started chasing them too. She sees the value. The apple certainly doesn’t fall far.

My Favorite Organic Rabbit Repellant

I’ve had great luck with Plantskydd animal repellants and have used mostly their liquid version for years. It’s an organic blood-based product that won’t hurt the animals you’re trying to repel. The liquid also doubles as an organic fertilizer so it’s a win-win. It’s best applied in the early morning before the sun gets too harsh.

And the beauty of it is that it doesn’t have to be reapplied after every rainfall. On average, I spray my roses once a month, unless we’ve had heavy rain. No chance of that anytime soon, I’m sorry to say. Due to the drought, I’ve not had to reapply to the base of the roses in about five weeks.

Rabbits love new growth and will be the first ones to chomp it off. The liquid is great for use on new tender growth. I should mention it has a strong odor and is best applied long before you host any garden parties. Within 24 hours of application, the scent disappears.

I’m discovering that the granular form is equally effective for creating perimeters around certain plants or entire borders. In the above image, I’ve used both liquid and granular on my snapdragons. I grew Madame Butterfly Bronze with white snapdragons from seed. It’s my first time doing so and I’m determined to repel rabbits as long as it takes to bring them to flower.

I’ve been told that scent repellants are ineffective against baby rabbits. Apparently their sense of smell doesn’t develop until they’re older, so you have to go with taste repellants. The liquid Plantskydd seems to work but just for a little insurance, I created a perimeter using the granular too. Just be sure to activate the granular with a touch of water. I went over it lightly with the garden hose and so far so good.

Dollar Store Rabbit Deterrent

The adult rabbits, and every chipmunk in the area, are hopping into my raised veg beds and doing a number on the seedlings. I’ve read that motion can keep unwanted guests out of the garden. So when I saw these whirligigs at the dollar store, I bought four. They’re so cute and since putting them in each bed, I haven’t had any trouble. I suspect this will be short-lived once they realize they’re harmless. At least they’re cute. Not the critters, the whirligigs. And at this point, I’ll take any lull in critter pressure.

Good ‘Ole Chicken Wire

Look at all this damage! Baby rabbits have devoured all except the top most growth on this rose. Proven Winners sent me a sample of their brand new climbing rose for 2023, Rise Up Lilac Days, and I was excited to feature it later on this summer. It established quickly, tossing up several sprays of flower buds and then this happened. I forgot the Plantskydd and paid the price. So for good measure, I surrounded the little rose skeleton with chicken wire and am hopeful it’ll recover.

It’s ugly, I know, but it’s the best way to give this rose a fighting chance.

Go Primitive

There are moments when I consider waving the white flag, letting the tiny beasts devour the beautiful things I’ve planted. Perhaps then I wouldn’t feel so stressed. I think acceptance is a powerful thing for ones mental health. Fortunately, those moments are fleeting and I’m ready to bring the crazy.

Organic rabbit repellant, dollar store whirligigs and chicken wire are all crucial to managing rabbit pressure. Let’s not underestimate the satisfaction one gets from random shoe throwing accompanied by circuitous chasing behavior, flailing arms and the strange guttural noises one emits during these territorial moments.

It keeps it interesting.

Got rabbits? Tell me your woes in the comments.