Brush rabbits, cottontails and jackrabbits can be serious pests in your yard. They nibble the bark off of young trees, eat garden plants and flowers, and might scrape or dig in soil or turf. While it’s legal to kill irritation rabbits in certain nations, this should be a last resort. Repellents and other strategies are able to keep rabbits away from precious plants with no need to destroy them.
Fencing
Wire fences at least 3 feet high having a mesh diameter of 1 inch or less can be an efficient method to keep rabbits out of the lawn. Be sure to leave an additional 6 inches of cable at the base of the fence. Bend this piece of cable beneath, and bury it at a thickness of 6 inches to keep rabbits from digging holes under the fence. Rabbit-proof fencing can be added to existing deer fences and is relatively cheap for smaller gardens.
Trunk and Vine Guards
If your lawn or landscape includes grapevines or tender young trees, repel rabbits by shielding the plants. Use vine guards before the vine is at least 3 feet tall, and then implement trunk guards to all newly planted young trees. You can make your own back guard using a cylinder of wire mesh, either hard plastic or even heavy cardboard. Trunk and vine guards ought to be at least 2 1/2 feet high to stop standing rabbits from reaching the plants.
Organic Repellents
While commercial rabbit repellents can be found, they frequently use dangerous chemicals and can be costly. Effective low-cost natural repellents include capsaicin or hot pepper spray, tobacco dust, and blood meal. Capsaicin repellants cause a burning sensation that discourages browsing, so they should be applied directly to plants which the rabbit might eat. Blood meal and sage dust create unpleasant odors that repel these pests.
Plant Deterrents
You may also plant species which will discourage infestation from entering your lawn. These include potato vine, impatiens, digitalis, echinacea, verbena and a few fern species. Bougainvillea, rosemary, sage and lilac may also discourage rabbits due to their unpleasant taste.
Trapping
If fences and repellents do not work, it is possible to trap a rabbit with humane methods. Put cable live traps in places you realize the rabbits already regular, especially in the event that you see droppings neighboring. Move traps weekly should they don’t capture a rabbit, and check them every 12 hours. Good baits include apples, cabbage, carrots, dried corn and fruit. Should you catch a rabbit, avoid handling it due to the chance of infection transmission. Some communities prohibit discharging trapped rabbits without a written permit, which means you might have to destroy any rabbits you catch or hand them over to a wildlife business.
Considerations
Although it’s legal to kill a rabbit on your own premises, certain methods might not be legal in your area. For instance, toxic baits which can be inadvertently eaten by another animal or moved to hunters, are prohibited according to the California Fish and Game Code. Should you have to destroy rabbits, have them euthanized or utilize another non-poison process.