How to Keep Rabbits Out of Your Garden: 9 Wildlife-Friendly Tips

When rabbits invade, no garden plant is safe. To protect your vegetables, fruits, and flowers, you’ve got several options to keep rabbits out of your garden. In North America, there are about 15 native rabbit and hare species, but you’ll most often encounter the eastern cottontail. Regardless of which species you’re dealing with, this guide will show you how to identify rabbit damage and use wildlife-friendly methods to keep rabbits from munching on your plants.

Identifying Rabbit Damage

Rabbits are relatively secretive and tend to avoid human contact. The damage they cause can resemble that caused by deer, groundhogs, or other larger pests. To determine if rabbits are the culprits, look for these telltale signs:

• Disappearing produce. If your lettuce is chewed down to nubs or your strawberries disappear overnight, rabbits may be the cause. Unlike insect pests, which usually leave small holes, rabbits have much larger appetites and can obliterate whole plants.
• Damaged plants. Rabbits, groundhogs, and deer don’t always eat the entire plant. Rabbits and groundhogs usually feed on the leaves at the base, while deer often cause higher up damage by munching on leaves, branches, and twigs.
• Rabbit pellets. If you find rounded, pelleted scat in your garden, it’s likely from rabbits or deer. Groundhog scat is usually larger and less uniform in size.
• Nibbled bark. Rabbits and deer may chew on the tender bark around the base of young trees and shrubs. However, deer typically cause more damage and eat small branches and twigs as well.
• Digging. Unlike their European counterparts, most North American rabbits don’t dig extensive tunnel systems. However, they will dig small holes or depressions for nesting. Large tunnels in your garden are more likely the work of groundhogs.

Tips for Keeping Rabbits Out of Your Garden

Many rabbits stay content nibbling on weeds and clover in the lawn, never venturing into vegetable gardens and flowerbeds. But if they start causing problems, these tips will help make your garden less appealing to rabbits and encourage them to find food elsewhere.

1. Tidy Up

Gardens that provide a source of tasty vegetables and safe shelter are more likely to attract rabbits. If you want to deter them, start with a thorough garden cleanup.

Reduce food sources by raking up fallen fruit and covering vulnerable veggies with row covers. Remove potential shelters by cleaning up brush and log piles, pruning overgrown shrubs and trees, and blocking off crawlspaces beneath porches and outbuildings. Regularly mow long grass, but check for nesting rabbits first to avoid disturbing them.

2. Install Fencing

Fencing requires effort but is the most effective way to keep rabbits out of your garden. Use chicken wire or hardware cloth around your garden perimeter, burying the bottom 6 inches into the soil and extending at least 3 feet above ground. Angle the top 6 to 12 inches away from the garden to make it harder for rabbits to jump over.

3. Try Other Barriers

If a full fence isn’t feasible, protect specific plants with smaller barriers. Rabbits target new growth, so use chicken wire domes over bulbs and young seedlings. Once plants mature, you can remove the barriers.

Alternatively, use cloches or plant cages for individual plants. In a pinch, old nursery pots with the bottoms removed can protect vulnerable perennials. Tree guards around young trees and shrubs are also effective but ensure they’re tall enough to prevent rabbits from reaching when standing on their hind legs.

4. Grow Rabbit-Proof Plants

While hungry rabbits might eat nearly anything, choosing less appealing plants can reduce stress and damage. Some rabbit-resistant plants include:

• Yarrow
• Lamb’s ear
• Daffodils
• Peonies
• Grape hyacinth
• Potatoes
• Bleeding heart
• Mint
• Lupines
• Foxglove

Plants labeled “deer-proof” or “resistant to Japanese beetles” are also worth considering. These pests, including rabbits, generally avoid the same plants.

5. Choose Repellent Plants

While rabbit-proof plants are less attractive, some plants actually repel rabbits with their scent. Herbs like rosemary and thyme, as well as chives, onions, garlic, and oregano, can protect your garden. Plant them around the perimeter or use them as companions for more vulnerable plants like brassicas and strawberries.

6. Sow Clover

Sometimes distraction works best. Rabbits love clover, so overseeding parts of your lawn with clover seeds can provide an alternative food source. Dutch white clover and microclover are tough options for lawns, while ornamental crimson and red clover can add color.

7. Apply Repellents

There are many rabbit repellents available, though their effectiveness varies, and they often require reapplication, especially after rain. Common repellents include blood meal, dog fur, garlic oil, human hair, cayenne powder, predator urine, and putrescent egg solids.

8. Use Scare Tactics

Place pinwheels around your garden or install motion-activated sprinklers and plastic snake or owl decoys. Increase their effectiveness by periodically moving these items and using them alongside fences and repellents.

9. Try Trapping

Trapping and relocating rabbits is usually ineffective as new ones often take their place. If you must remove rabbits, always wear gloves and check local regulations, as trapping and relocation may be prohibited in some areas.

To trap rabbits, use an appropriately sized live trap baited with fresh produce like apples or carrots. Place the trap where rabbits are active and check it regularly to avoid prolonged confinement. Release captured rabbits at least five miles away from human habitation.

Avoid moving rabbit nests on your own as young rabbits are delicate. Baby rabbits stay in the nest for about three to five weeks. If a nest is in a risky spot, use temporary fencing to protect it or contact a wildlife rehabber.