Domestically Sustainable Agriculture - Construction, Planting, and Harvesting

Step 16 Our first casualty

Unfortunately, this morning when I walked out to water the plants, I found a rabbit just sitting in the broccoli, with the broccoli plants completely eaten.

The rabbit and his/her family must have been there last evening and decided to chow down.

Fortunately, that was the only casualty, so today I will purchase some rabbit repellent. Next year we plan on adding some rabbit cages around the plot for extra protection against these critters.

I have researched some options of rabbit repellents, and I have found many results.
Natural

• Marigold
• Mothballs
• Human Hair
• Kitty litter
• Garlic
• Lavender

Please give some more! Add comments!!
There are also the dry and spray repellents which can be used around the bed. Companies make tons of different types; many quite similar. Some are urine based, others are blood based, and some are smell based. There is "Liquid Fence" which I have heard positive results about, and also "Cridder Ridder." If anyone has any other suggestions, please comment!

We bought a blood based product, which we just spread around the raised beds, but not on the plants. The instructions told us not to. The bottle tells us that it has a potent smell when animals smell it, and also a toxic taste. So, if we continue to see evidence of Peter Rabbit, we will probably try a new product, or one of the natural methods.

UPDATE 6/24 We sprayed some liquid fence on our veggies, and so far we have not seen any traces of rabbits. Keep in mind that your repellent should tell you whether or not you can use it on edible plants.

Comments

[wirechief]

A 20 gauge shotgun works well too. Look at it this way, rabbit stew.

[tornadoboy]

More like rabbit puree

[M F]

a 12 gauge will make swiss rabbit, not a 20 gauge. I am looking for a source for 100 rabbit skins inexpensively. I want to make the rabbitskin blanket project.

[nkhouri haddad]

You have to come to our backyard it's just full of them feel free to make me one blanket too!
I tried the liquid fence but no luck, a friend advised to spray plants with hot sauce and it worked on my plants, but I have a lawn that they are intrested in more!

[popa27272]

so i tried broccoli this year and the rabbits took out all my plants, i noticed its been a couple of years since you posted this so i figured you probably have had a lot of trial and error...so what would you recommend to do to protect my broccoli next year from rabbits and i was wondering if you also knew how to save strawberries from chipmunks, just as they are starting to turn red the buggers pluck them and eat them over on a nearby chopping block i use for cutting firewood

[kingmotorsport]

Would not a finer mesh screen around the bottom of the fence keep them out?  I think that would be a good initial deterrent. 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Why not catch them and fatten them up for some delicious stew!

[AmyLuthien]

Dogs are good for keeping rabbits away too.  I recommend keeping a hatchet handy for when your dog gets one however . . .

[Brennn10]

Well this past fall, I did accidentally run over a young rabbit with my lawn mower.  Needless to say, I am never mowing in that same spot again.

[AmyLuthien]

I got one like that a couple years ago, sucked him right out of his hole (what was he doing burrowing in my lawn for anyway?) and nastiness ensued.  Took me a while to mow over that spot without shuddering! 

It's yucky, killing "Thumper" but necessary, otherwise they'll over-breed and then problems really start!  I will say though, I once had a large (10 lb) domestic rabbit buck that had the run of my backyard.  He pretty much kept all the other rabbits out.  So that's also a thought on rabbit control.  Easier to control one than a hundred.