Keeping Bunnies Out of Your Veggies

It's spring again, and it's your backyard's time to shine. This is every gardener's favorite time of the year, but humans aren't the only ones looking forward to it. Rabbits can't wait to enjoy the warm spring air and all the fresh greenery, including your vegetable patch.

Bunnies may be cute, but they can multiply rapidly and decimate your plants in short order. They're also attractive targets for predators or even large pets, and this can lead to big disturbances in an otherwise peaceful backyard. If you want to keep your vegetable garden tranquil and intact, here are some humane options for keeping rabbits out.

Catch and release

If rabbits are infrequent visitors to your garden, a wildlife removal service may be the solution. Service pros will trap the bunnies in snap-door cages and safely release them into an unpopulated area. But if you live in an area adjacent to wildlife territory and get a lot of furry visitors, you may need to look at stronger deterrents.

Cold showers

Motion-activated sprinklers are effective against rabbits and other uninvited garden guests. Infrared sensors detect motion and activate the sprinkler if an animal gets too close. These sprinklers are also a great solution for gardeners with sanitation concerns about pets leaving waste near edible plants.

The sprinklers range in sophistication from basic models that spray in one direction to complex motion detectors that can distinguish between animal movements and wind-driven objects. A landscaping pro like Charlotte-based Bushwackers Landscaping can advise on the best models and placement for your outdoor areas.

Smelly situation

You can also keep bunnies out of your garden with smells. Rabbits and other wild animals will avoid an area treated with repellents containing pepper, garlic, or other strong odors. While these scents aren't strong enough to irritate human noses, many critters are susceptible and may avoid areas covered with repellent.

If you'd rather avoid strong smells, you can try a more aromatic solution. Because their sense of smell is much stronger than a human's, rabbits will avoid gardens planted with garlic, onion, oregano, sage, and lavender. Homeowners in the Durham-Chapel Hill area can ask the garden pros at Homewood Nursery and Garden Center about other vegetables and ornamental plants that rabbits avoid.

Fencing match

If repellents aren't a strong enough measure to tame your bunny problem, you can block them out of the garden altogether with a rabbit-proof fence. The fence should be at least 4 feet high and made of metal that the bunnies can't chew through. Because rabbits are excellent tunnelers, the fence must be buried to a depth of at least 1 foot.

Rabbit control solutions can be humane and attractive. Most of them even work on other animals that might devour your hard work in the garden. Contact a landscape professional today to create a plan for saving and even enhancing your vegetable garden. For more tips and tricks on keeping hungry critters at bay, follow TheHomeMag on Facebook and Instagram.