How to Get Rid of Rabbits | 8 Easy & Effective Tips

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Rabbits are cute, soft, and fluffy. However, when you have grown some amazing plants in your backyard, and you have rabbits infesting your garden, no part of that seems cute anymore. However, to get the right answer on how to get rid of rabbits, you need to source the infestation first. Sometimes, you will have one wild rabbit nibbling on the fruit and veg in your garden, and sometimes, the infestation is in multiples.

All that aside, it is crucial that you focus on eliminating the rabbits from the perimeter of your garden before you end up taking a turn for the worse. Typically, we’d recommend that you call animal control to remove them off the premises safely and in a humane way. However, that is not a possibility all the time.

Also read: How to Get Rid of Midge Flies? | 8 Effective Tips

This article will discuss some of the best ways to eliminate rabbits from your garden without imposing any kinds of long-lasting impacts.

How to Notice a Rabbit Infestation?

Since rodents are pretty common animals that infest the gardens and backyards, distinguishing the type is the first step towards successful elimination. Typically, we’d recommend that you check the periphery for the following:

  • Signs of damage to the plants, including half-eaten leaves, fruit, and veg
  • Heaped or sparse piles of round droppings
  • Freshly dug holes and burrows
  • Visible gnaw marks on the trunks of the trees
  • Tunnels around the lawn

Although, indeed, rabbits won’t harm you physically, it is also true that you need to be mindful of one thing – they can cause a ruckus in the backyard and damage your plants. So, housing wild rabbits in your garden are going to cost you immensely in the long run.

List of Ways to Get Rid of Rabbits

Now that you have a basic idea of what a rabbit infestation looks like let us move ahead on how to get rid of rabbits. Keep in mind that the process isn’t as complicated as it seems. Most of the methods are humane ways, so you won’t have to compromise on killing them to get rid of them.

That said, here are some of the best ways to get rid of the rabbits:

1. Maintain the Perimeter of your Yard

The first and likely the most important way to keep the rabbits out of the space is by cleaning out the perimeter of your yard. Typically, you need to ensure that you never leave your garden unkempt and unclean. Doing this leaves behind more opportunities for the rodent to move around in the garden, making things a lot more complicated than you’d typically anticipate. Also, when we are talking about maintaining the lawn, it involves cutting out the tall grass and other dirt around.

Mowing also helps in cleaning out the perimeter of the lawn; this is always a benefit. Also, if you have piles of sticks and wood lying around on the lawn, make sure you get rid of the same too. If you find open burrows and holes around on the lawn, find them and close them immediately. Open burrows make the infestation worse.

2. Use Natural Deterrents

Onion Plant
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/onion-root-vegetable-growth-harvest-3706937/

We could have highlighted this subheading as “using red chili flakes” because that is the most popular natural deterrent. However, you need to realize that you need to watch out for a few other popular types of natural deterrents. One of the most popular of the lot is planting pungent-smelling plants.

Aromatic plants like onion, garlic, etc., are some of the best deterrents that you can plant out. They are not the best in terms of smell but keep the bunnies out of your garden without any complications. Just ensure that you plant them across the perimeter of the garden for maximum benefit.

3. Check Under the Decks and Patio

Besides the garden, you will often find the rabbits burrowing into the soil and under your house. Decks and patios are some of the best hiding spots for these small animals. However, this is where they mostly spend their time inconspicuously. Typically, we’d recommend that you check under the decks and patio if you are noticing signs of rabbit infestation around the house.

Be frequent with the checking because that helps deter the rabbits and keep them out of your home without any complications that you can think of. 

4. Get Rid of Water Sources

Not many people know about this, but rabbits tend to set up their habitation around the spaces that are close to water sources. So, if you have an open pool, or you live beside a lake or have any kind of water sources around, try and eliminate those sources. 

The best way to keep them out is by ensuring that you either build up a fence or try other deterring methods that will help you out in the long run. Also, if you are building a fence and other deterring mechanisms, you must invest in options that come with mesh covering around so that the rabbits stay out.

5. Buy Store-bought Traps

Another easy and effective way is to set up traps. The process isn’t as manually intensive, but you need to put in the effort to place them around the space where the rabbits frequent the most. Also, make sure that you add some kind of lure inside so they are enticed to go inside the trap and get caught.

Always ensure that you use humane traps that won’t harm them in any way. Typically, it is always best if you keep an eye out on the normal catch traps instead of the ones with glue and other mechanisms in them.

6. Try Repellents

If you don’t mind introducing some chemicals in the process, there are a few high-quality repellents that you can consider looking into. Just ensure that you keep an eye out for the quality of the product that you are spraying. The combination of chemicals shouldn’t be harsh enough to end up killing the plants in the perimeter of the garden.

Instead, spray them in a way that gets rid of them out of your garden and prevents them from re-entering your garden in the future.

7. Install Motion-activated Sprinklers

Lawn Sprinkler
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/lawn-sprinkler-water-meadow-lawn-4971510/

Nobody likes to get sprayed on, especially the rabbits. So, installing motion-activated sprinklers in your garden can help you deter them out of the garden when you aren’t around or have no means to chase them out of your garden. They are motion-sensitive, which means that if they detect any kind of movement, the sprinklers will turn on and spray the rabbits, chasing them away.

8. Call for Pest Control

If none of the methods work out in your favor, your last option is to call reinforcements who know the techniques and the right ways to catch and get rid of the excessive rabbits infesting your garden and your deck and patio. They have all the right resources to not just catch these animals but humanely relocate them out in the wild, so they don’t come back to cause chaos for you in the long run. 

If you are tired of the excessive rabbit infestation in your garden, this article should answer all your basic questions and queries. Just ensure that you keep an eye out for the methods mentioned and implement them in the right ways. The last thing you want is to spray some kind of chemical repellent, only to end up killing all the plants. We’d always recommend trying out the manual ways and the natural deterrents before switching to the chemical options. If nothing seems to work out to get rid of rabbits, it is always recommended you seek professional help for the same.

Also read: How to Get Rid of Centipedes? | 9 Easy Ways

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to Get Rid of Rabbits Permanently?

Fencing and using chemical repellents around the garden are two of the most long-lasting methods to keep the rabbits out of the garden.

What Do Rabbits Hate the Most?

Besides the aromatic plants, rabbits also don’t like the smell of the predator musk, so spraying the same around the garden will keep them out of the garden for good. Just ensure that you don’t spray them on the plants or in excess.

Will Coffee Grounds Keep Rabbits Away?

Although not the most effective method of keeping rabbits away, it has shown positive results to an extent in keeping the rabbits out of the equation permanently, which is quite promising.

By James Edwards

James Edwards is a writer & editor with almost 15 years of experience from Murphys, California. He earned his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University.

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