Rabbits may be cute but they’re a garden menace

Often times the eastern cottontail rabbit is more visible

in our neighborhoods than in areas where people normally hunt

them. They’re cute and fun to watch until you find out they’re

destroying your landscape and vegetable plants. Just a few can

cause hundreds of dollars of damage.

Sometimes we catch them in the act, making identifying the

problem easy. However, rabbits are usually somewhat nocturnal.

Actually crepuscular is more correct. That means they’re most

active around dawn and dusk. Consequently, we often don’t

observe them destroying our plants.

So before we jump to conclusions we must know what rabbit

damage looks like. Rabbit and deer damage are often similar.

Deer, being larger, are able to graze higher and usually leave

noticeable tracks. Damage from other small mammals, like

groundhogs, often closely mimics that of rabbits. Groundhogs

usually dig some type of den, which reveals their presence.

Rabbits have sharp teeth that cut cleanly. They graze

patches often to the ground and prefer tender vegetation like

leafy vegetables or delicate landscape plants like daylilies and

Hosta. In winter they browse twigs and young tree bark.

So how do we stop this, especially in town where shooting

them might not be an option? I’ve heard people recommend

planting marigolds, but I’ve observed rabbits grazing marigold

plants. Furthermore, there are few vegetable plants rabbits

won’t damage if food sources are scarce. They generally do leave

onions alone.

That shouldn’t entirely discourage you. There are methods

to reduce your damage. Organic fertilizers like blood meal are a

general turn-off to these lagomorphs. Unfortunately, they can be

a turn-on to dogs and can encourage canines to dig up these

places.

Fencing often works. Also, if rabbits are the problem and

not deer, fencing need not be tall and unsightly. Two to three

feet high is sufficient, so you could step right over it.

Fencing should be buried six inches or so, since rabbits are

adept at digging.

Pets often keep these critters at bay. I once had a cat

that kept our place pretty much rabbit free. Blazer fed our dog

with them too. He loved her. Usually most pets are not quite as

formidable ridding the yard of rabbits and other small mammals.

She cleaned up the squirrels too, so I always had plenty of nuts

in the fall.

I must admit when I lived in the country I shot my share of

them, but I rarely ate them during hot weather. I was always

afraid of parasites or tularemia, a bacterial disease that can

be passed to humans. Cats can get it too, but Blazer loved being

a cat and Trevor loved being a dog, so I took the chance and let

them enjoy their harvests. They both lived into their teens.

Live traps can be effective and humane. You won’t kill the

neighbor’s dog or cat. Planting something they like on your

property’s edge can work for a while. However, I think for most

people the best solution is finding a way to co-exist.