Rabbits may be cute, furry animals, but they can quickly destroy a garden by feeding on both plants and vegetables. Since these animals seem cute enough, we typically look for ways to repel them, instead of killing them with a toxic, poisonous solution. There are a few inexpensive home remedy options for making your own simple rabbit repellent. Does this Spark an idea?
Repellent Options
Rabbits have sensitive noses, making them easily repelled by substances with a strong scent. Pepper works perfectly in this instance. If the rabbit is attacking a specific area of the garden, simply sprinkle hot sauce or red pepper flakes around the garden. This will keep the rabbit away from the garden altogether. If you would prefer a repellent that you can safely spray directly onto plants, mix 2 cups of water with two spoonfuls of chili pepper or cayenne pepper in a spray bottle. Stir the powder and water, and also add a spoonful of liquid dish soap, which will help adhere the solution to plant leaves.
Garlic also emits an odor that is unattractive to rabbits. Follow the same procedure, by sprinkling freshly chopped garlic cloves around the garden. To make a spray-on solution, mix 2 cups of water with two spoonfuls of garlic powder and one spoonful of liquid dish soap.
Oleander is another natural repellent. The most common place to find oleander is in dryer sheets. Read your dryer sheet labels to be sure ingredients include oleander, then spread throughout the garden.
Applying the Repellent
To apply the spray-on repellents, simply spray around areas that are being attacked by the rabbits. Also spray on plant leaves and surrounding soil. This solution will stay in place for up to 2 weeks, depending on weather conditions. If rabbits return, simply re-apply the solution every few weeks to keep them from feeding on your plants.
For dryer sheets, place a few throughout the garden, and either push them down into the soil, or cover one side with dirt so they do not blow away with a heavy wind. The dryer sheets will emit the oleander scent for several weeks, keeping your garden free of rabbits. When the scent is no longer present, replace with new dryer sheets.
Tags: dryer sheets, around garden, cups water, cups water with, dish soap, liquid dish