wild rabbits

**Homekeepn** · 05-02-2011, 08:12 AM

We have seen at least two rabbits hanging around in our yard lately. I say wild because we have a tame bunny too. These rabbits I am afraid will be getting into my garden when its gets planted in a few weeks. One of them looks like our Joey, but you can tell he is use to living outside.

I don't know what to do about them. I would like to keep them as pets, but I don't think that it is for 1) legal to do and 2) good for the rabbit to go from wild to captivity and lastly safe for us and Joey.

I also do not want to kill them. I just want them to stay out of the garden. I can in no way afford to rabbit proof the garden either. Its just to large.

I would consider a have a heart trap though. What would I bait it with that would be more temping then my whole yard? Also I don't know of anyone who owns one. I would have to ask around.

Any suggestions?

**frugalwarrior2** · 05-02-2011, 08:17 AM

Well, got an neighbors w/ a large dog who could scent the perimeter of the garden?
As far as pets go-diseases and lice? They would prob. have a heart attack if captured. Too stressful. And they could make your domestic bunny ill.
I would bait a trap. or feed them seperately on the other side of the yard?

**Durgan** · 05-02-2011, 08:51 AM

Live trap and move about 10 km. A garden and rabbit are incompatible.

Another solution is fence about two feet high with chicken wire. I use both methods.

A dog is another solution in a fenced yard.

**Trentt** · 05-02-2011, 08:57 AM

A wild rabbit cannot be domesticated; it will die quickly (I've known people who tried).

I've got a big buck rabbit that's been hanging out in my yard as well. He came through the small gully on the northern edge of the property, which is a wild place with weed trees and garlic mustard. I researched rabbit repellents on the internet and learned that strong scents unpleasant to them will keep them out. Once the garlic mustard is mature (there are about 1 billion seedlings down there) I think that'll do the trick. As a measure to keep him out, I scattered mothballs and expended lemon rinds throughout the gully. That worked.

Then I saw him again a few days ago, and watched him escape through a hole under the fence along the border with the lot to the east of me (the western neighbor has a dog, so I don't think he'll try that route). So he's obviously avoiding the gully. I put mothballs every couple of feet on my side of the fence; I'll see if that keeps him away for good.

I wouldn't use mothballs as a repellent by scattering them amongst food crops. In these weedy, unused areas, I don't have a problem using them.

All that said, I have many baby plants already growing (lettuce, kohlrabi, spinach, radishes, turnips, broccoli, Brussels sprouts) as well as perennials such as lilies and Canterbury Bells that are coming up, and I've seen no rabbit nibbles on anything. Maybe he is scoping out my yard as a spot for his harem.

**nodmicks** · 05-02-2011, 09:23 AM

Dh sprays fox urine and that seems to work great. We have 3 dogs and they do not deter rabbits!

**chowder** · 05-02-2011, 02:34 PM

I have one that does not touch my gardens in the summer,but when the temps get cold and the snow comes he will start eating shrubs,rose bushes etc. In the winter I put out rabbit pellets and hay which keeps him happy.I actually had 2 here last summer and suffered no loss of plants.On the other hand that may not be the same case in your situation.

**itlw8** · 05-03-2011, 10:27 AM

I could deal with the rabbit in my yard It really does not eat much BUT my dog tears up the borders trying to get the rabbit

If I could just keep it out of the lilly bed I would be happy.

**Homekeepn** · 05-03-2011, 06:56 PM

My hubby saw three of them together this morning on the side of the yard that houses the garden. We also have dogs and that does not seem to be a deterrent. Moth balls are full of too many harmful chemicals for me to ever use.

As far as having them as pets, that was not really considered. Joey does need a companion, but not that bad.

I have been thinking about using cayenne pepper on some plants. We have done this in the past when a groundhog went after our broccoli. Back then we had a much smaller garden. It is just not feasible now.

I have talked with a few people at work about the rabbit problem. One of the teachers has a humane trap that she will bring in for me to try. Hopefully this will work quickly so we can get on with gardening.

**Trentt** · 05-04-2011, 07:46 AM

I also read about using a mixture of cayenne pepper and white glue, spreading it around the perimeter of the garden. I guess that keeps it from washing away with the first rain.

I wouldn't use mothballs near anything meant for human consumption, no.

**Trentt** · 05-24-2011, 07:35 AM

OK, the mothballs were effective for a while (the garden area smelt vaguely of naphthalene), but no longer. I guess they evaporate or melt or something. Last night I caught the rabbit red-pawed in my rows of spinach. He'd eaten about half of the leaves. I fetch half a lemon I'd just juiced and flung it at him, but he barely moved, brazen varmint!

So that experiment was not such a great success. After chasing him away, I dug out onion skins and citrus rinds from my kitchen compost bucket and strewed them throughout the spinach row, then sprinkled ground hot red pepper over the spinach. I'll see if that works. He'll probably avoid the spinach and switch to my lettuce now. He hasn't bothered anything else, so I suspect the mothballs kept him at bay until their effectiveness was diminished. I'm not going to saturate my garden with naphthalene however, so I'll try these more natural repellents.