Preventing Rabbit Problems
For such small creatures, rabbits can do a surprising amount of damage to a garden or a landscaping scheme in a very short amount of time. There are many ways in which you can use a least toxic approach to take care of a rabbit problem once it has started, but by far the best way is to take steps to make sure you don’t have a rabbit infestation in the first place.
Integrated pest management means not only dealing with pest problems, but also making sure that pest numbers do not grow so that the animal becomes a problem. The steps you take to ensure that your yard is rabbit proof will save a lot of time and money; let’s take a look at a few of them.
* Use natural predators. Rabbits are easy pickings for any predator, and that includes those we have domesticated. Ferrets, cats, and dogs all love rabbit, and having one of these creatures around will mean that you have no rabbit problems at all.
* Use plants rabbits don’t like. Sometimes rabbits will not detect a plant that is tasty to them because they can’t smell it over one that is not. Garlic and onions seem to deter rabbits, and planting them in with carrots or lettuce has been seen to keep rabbits away.
* Scents. If you don’t like the idea of using a predator to kill rabbits to prevent them from destroying your garden, you can still take advantage of the fear response. Rabbits know the smell of their predators, and there are some scents on the market today which simulate that of a fox or a coyote. Rabbits are unlikely to enter a garden when they can detect this smell. Bunches of dog or cat hair may also do the trick; all of these preventative measures must be applied on a frequent basis in order to be effective.
* Fences and barriers. Many people also use fences or other types of barrier to keep rabbits out of their gardens. You have to make sure that these barriers are fairly high; at least three feet off the ground is a good rule of thumb. Most species of rabbit are good diggers as well, so make sure you run the fence underground about a foot or maybe more.
* Place wire around trees. As landscapers may already know, rabbits will strip the bark off of trees for a meal. Placing chicken wire around a tree will prevent rabbits from doing this, and will also limit their numbers particularly in the winter time when other sources of food may be scarce.