How to keep rabbits out of the garden??

I've got a Jack Rabbit who thinks my garden is his personal buffet. He does all of his snacking at night when the dog is inside. Anyone have any ideas how to keep him away?

 

Netty, rabbits are one of the hardest things to keep away. I have to put small gauge chicken wire around things I don't want eaten. We put a small fence around one of the beds and inadvertanly fenced in a nest of baby rabbits so the mother just dug under it. Young trees here in the winter I wrap foil around the stems or the rabbits chew right through them. I plant rye grass in Oct. for them and they eat it like crazy. They are even eating my sedums this winter. I have a few allies- my dogs, some lovely great horned owls that LOVE rabbits, a few redtail hawks, a very Unwelcome bobcat that dines on rabbits when he is not eating my delicious fowl. It's an ongoing battle here . I have big fencerows so chicken wire is my only recourse. Good luck. It won't be long before he's a Daddy Rabbit. :'(

 

Take a flashlight shine it directly in his eyes, shoot him ,clean him steam fry him in a skillet, make drippins gravy and biscuits serve while hot. Enjoy. Or you can buy Fox urine at a sporting goods store a few drops around the garden should take care of him.

 

Fox urine sounds good in theory, Richard. Here I would be afraid it would attract a bunch of foxes to my yard.

 

I live way in the country.I have no rabbit problems.Maybe due to all of Kevins cats.

 

I haven't seen a rabbit here in awhile. But I guess we stillhave them. My husband said the little peach tree we planted last summer has been eaten off - I forgot to wrap them in the fall so it's my own fault.

 

We live in town but we have rabbits and my husband feeds them apples. Fred goes "wild" when I first take him out in the morning. Wannabe

 

Well Reggaefan, as much as I curse the rabbit, I could never hurt it! I was hoping that he would move on, after all, they say a rabbits favorite food is alfalfa and clover and I am surrounded by fields of it!
I did a bit of research and found a few things that are SUPPOSED to keep them away: scattering wood ashes, ground pepper or chili powder, human or dog hair. Clear glass bottles filled with water or half buried glass bottles that will whistle and scare them away. Fake snakes or owls can scare them away. And dogs (but I think the rabbit is smarter then my dog!) Fox urine sounds good in theory, but I live in the country where fox and coyote are abundant and I would be afraid to attract more!

 

A friend of mine said moth balls work fine I have never tried them you are right about the fox urine it would probably just attract more foxes

 

I haven't any rabbits, but I do have moles - so far my main way of dealing with them has been my cat (and she's pretty good at it too.)... Nice thing is she is also organic, you could say...

 

Well, to my horrors I've discovered that there is also some young Cottontails who are feasting on my Dwarf Burning bush. I've had to put a big garbage can over it. We now have lots of snow over the garden so that seems to have discouraged it-for now! No new tracks in the snow today. My husband and I were just commenting on the lack of coyote this winter - perhaps that has something to do with my sudden bunny problems.

 

Netty you may have to get the rabbit cage wire and surround that plant with it to stop their nibbling.

 

Oh Netty, please, no pepper or chilli powder. If the rabbit or an innocent cat or dog would get it in their eyes they would claw them out from the burning.

 

I'm going to keep the garbage can over my Burning Bush until spring if I have to. It doesn't look very attractive, but it works. The rest of the garden is covered with snow so it is safe for now. No new tracks in my yard yesterday, but there are lots in my neighbors LOL
Cajunbelle-no pepper or chilli powder-I promise!