Why You Don’t Want Rabbits In Your Yard (And How To Get Rid Of Them)

Rabbits are regarded as symbols of good luck and prosperity in many cultures. When you see one of these furry mammals hopping around your yard, however, you might not feel so lucky. While these animals are cute and often kept as pets, they can also inflict harm on your yard. If you’ve seen rabbits in your yard, you’ll want to prevent the damage they can cause and learn all the ways to keep them off your property for good.

Rabbits eat constantly, which means they can quickly destroy vegetable gardens and small plants. They can carry diseases, leave their droppings throughout your yard, and damage your lawn when they burrow. To keep these animals out of your yard, build fences and other barriers, and protect vulnerable plants with chicken wire and mesh. Spray DIY concoctions, sprinkle spicy pepper, and incorporate plants that these mammals hate to keep them away.

Spotting a rabbit in your yard might be exciting at first, but once you notice your vegetables and young plants disappearing, your opinion of these cotton-tailed creatures will shift dramatically. If there are rabbits in your yard, you should know all the havoc they can bring to your yard and how to stop it. Below is a list of common problems that rabbits cause, as well as the top ways to keep these wild mammals out of your yard permanently.

Six Reasons You Don’t Want Rabbits In Your Yard

1. Damage To Your Lawn

One of the biggest problems with rabbits occurs when they burrow. Wild rabbits live underground in tunnels and holes that they dig. These often complex tunnels can damage your lawn, creating soft spots and killing large portions of grass. 

The holes themselves can be a costly burden, as you must fill them and add new grass.

2. Destroy Young Plants And Vegetable Gardens

Rabbits are very hungry mammals. They might be small, but they are constantly eating. If you have a vegetable garden, rabbits can quickly eat all your ripe and developing produce. This can be heartbreaking for those who tend vegetable gardens for months in anticipation of this harvest.

In addition to eating vegetables, rabbits can chew through smaller plants, including shrubs, roses, and other expensive perennial flowers. 

3. Disease Spreading

Rabbits appear adorable, but they can carry diseases. Wild rabbits are particularly likely to spread diseases. Some diseases rabbits carry include ringworm, salmonellosis, and even parasites. Some of these diseases can be spread to other mammals. This includes your pets and in some cases, humans.

4. Rabbits Are Active All Year

One particularly irritating fact about rabbits is that they are active throughout the year. While many wild mammals hibernate, and other pests migrate, rabbits will hop around your yard 365 days a year. You might find it whimsical when you see a bunny hopping around in the snow. Be aware, however, that this animal is looking for food, which means your perennial plants are particularly vulnerable to these animals when other food sources are scarce.

5. Rabbit Droppings

Rabbits love to eat, which means they are also constantly leaving droppings. These pellet-sized droppings might not seem like a major nuisance, but over time, they can become a disgusting problem. Since these animals carry parasites, their droppings are particularly hazardous.

6. They Attract Predators

One of the biggest problems that comes along with rabbits in your yard is the appearance of dangerous predators. Coyotes, bobcats, hawks, snakes, and other dangerous animals are more likely to appear in your yard if you have rabbits living on your property.

Predators don’t discriminate between rabbits and other small prey. Your small dogs are vulnerable to these predators, which means rabbits can bring harm to your pet. Predators can also scare birds and other important pollinators away from your garden, which disrupts your garden’s ecosystem.

Eight Ways To Keep Rabbits Out Of Your Yard

1. Install A Fence And Other Barriers

One of the most effective and permanent ways to keep rabbits out of your yard is to build barriers. When choosing a fence to deter rabbits, it’s important to remember these mammals can jump and burrow. 

To ensure your fence is rabbit-proof, bury it one foot underground. It should also measure at least two to three feet high. These depths and heights will prevent the rabbits from digging or hopping their way into your yard. A wire fence works well, or any metal fencing with very narrow gaps.

2. Create A DIY Deterrent Spray

One great way to keep rabbits away from specific areas, like your vegetable garden, is to use a non-toxic spray. You can find sprays at home stores, but it’s often easier (and cheaper) to make it yourself.

These sprays often involve hot pepper or hot sauce, garlic, onion, or any member of the allium family, dish soap, and water. Rabbits hate alliums and spicy pepper, and dish soap also keeps them away. To help this concoction stick to your plants, you can add a small amount of cooking oil. This will help the pungent liquid stick to the leaves for longer.

3. Surround Vulnerable Plants With Chicken Wire Or Mesh

If a fence around your entire property is too large an investment to control your rabbit problem, consider protecting only your most vulnerable plants. If you have a vegetable garden, you may want to cover it with mesh or chicken wire to deter rabbits from entering.

Just as is the case with larger fences, ensure smaller barriers extend one foot underneath the ground.

4. Add Pinwheels And Other Shiny And Moving Objects

Rabbits are notoriously skittish and cautious. Shiny objects, especially objects that move, can encourage rabbits to run in the opposite direction. Pinwheels and other decorative shiny garden decorations are effective at scaring away rabbits. These shiny objects have other benefits, too, including helping to prevent birds from pooping on your property.

To ensure this method remains effective over time, move these objects seasonally. Changing their location often will keep rabbits fooled for longer.

5. Sprinkle Spicy Pepper In Your Garden

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of concocting a rabbit spray every few weeks, you can sprinkle hot pepper throughout your garden instead. Black, cayenne, and chilli pepper all work well, as do several spicy hot sauces.

The key is choosing a pepper that has a high spice level. Rabbits detest spicy pepper. Therefore, the overwhelming fragrance of this sprinkled paper will send them hopping in the other direction. Remember to reapply the pepper periodically, especially after it rains.

6. Incorporate Plants Into Your Garden That Keep Rabbits Away

One natural and effective way to deter rabbits from entering your garden is to add plants that these mammals hate. These include hot peppers and all alliums, including garlic, onions, and chives. 

Rabbits also hate several herbs, including lavender, oregano, and rosemary. Some flowers that keep rabbits away include daffodils, salvia, bee balm, and marigolds.

7. Let Your Dog Or Cat Outside More Often

While you don’t want to add any wild predators to your yard, there’s no harm in letting your pet outside more often. Dogs and cats scare rabbits. Dogs, in particular, are great at scaring rabbits away. There are very few things that most dogs love more than chasing rabbits.

Allowing your pet outside more often has many benefits. In addition to keeping rabbits away, it allows your pets to exercise more, and is great at keeping pet hair to a minimum in the home. 

8. Add A Predator Statue To Your Yard

If you don’t have a dog or cat, consider purchasing a predator statue to achieve the same desired effect. Hawk, owl, and other predator statues are common. They are great at scaring rabbits. Just remember to move these statues regularly to keep the rabbits fooled and terrified each time they see these life-like sculptures.

Final Notes On How To Keep Rabbits Out Of Your Yard

Rabbits might make cute pets, but wild rabbits in your yard can be a nightmare. These mammals burrow in your lawn, destroying grass and leaving large holes throughout your property. They will eat vegetables in your garden, and even ruin your cherished shrubs and flowers.

To keep these wild mammals out of your yard, install a wire fence that reaches at least one foot underground and is several feet high. You can make a deterrent spray using spicy pepper, garlic, and dish soap, or sprinkle spicy pepper in your garden. Dogs, cats, and predator statues scare rabbits away. Some plants, including alliums, lavender, rosemary, daffodils, and marigolds, help deter these hungry animals.

Related Guides:

• How To Keep Animals Out Of Your Vegetable Garden
• How To Keep Coyotes Away From Your House
• 12 Ways To Keep Skunks Out Of Your Yard For Good