Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit!

Taken at  Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park 
in Grand Rapids, MI in 2007

Elmer Fudd from The Looney Tunes said it right, “Bugs Bunny?! You’re a pesky wabbit!” I am at war with rabbits in my gardens. So far, they’ve eaten a tomato; all my cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli; basil; calendula; parsley; celery leaf; and purple coneflower. I’ve seen many rabbits in our yard, but I think the “cute” little rabbit I saw hop down my walk is the culprit!

My first line of defense was to learn more about rabbits from the Wildlife Illinois website at wildlifeillinois.org/. Here is what I learned.

As you know, our Eastern cottontail rabbits produce many offspring and grow quickly. One female cottontail rabbit may have 20-25 young per year, which reach full size in six months.  

My efforts to naturalize many parts of my property likely increase my rabbit population. They are found in open spaces near woody cover and are abundant where grass fields adjoin bushy areas. I have many locations with that exact description.

You might ask how I know a rabbit ate my plants. Rabbits clip off flower heads, buds, or small stems (my tomatoes!) at a clean 45^o angle. Deer, on the other hand, do not have sharp teeth like a rabbit and instead twist and pull plants when browsing. Cutworms don’t eat the entire plant, although I have also seen rabbits clip off plants and leave part of them on the ground.

Unfortunately, there is no easy fix for managing rabbits and other wildlife in our yards. Control options include habitat modification, exclusion, repellents, and removal.

I first chose to try the exclusion method. I fenced in my new terraced vegetable garden with chicken wire and trellises. The mesh was small enough (¼” x ¼”) to prevent small and large rabbits from slipping through. However, because the area sloped, parts of the fence were only a foot tall and thus they jumped right over. I have since extended the height.

I used milk crates and wire cages over herbs in my herb garden. However, the baby rabbits were able to get through the holes. They also burrowed under the lighter weight cages. I finally gave up and moved most of the annual herbs to containers placed on a cart out of the rabbit’s reach (I hope).  

The rabbits have also eaten some of my purple coneflowers. I don’t plan to eat the coneflowers, so repellents are an option, since they are not safe for human consumption. These products are taste repellents and are applied directly to the plants. Unfortunately, it must be reapplied after heavy rains or watering and as the plant develops new growth. These haven’t worked very well for me at all.

A better repellent for me is garlic oil in a little green dispenser (by Luster Leaf) that can be clipped on the plant or another structure. These last a long time and seem to keep the rabbits away.

I recently learned about another option I want to try. Bunny-Be-Gone Coleus (Coleus canina) is marketed as a natural repellent. Also called Scaredy Cat Plant, this mint family herb is sticky with a foul odor like dog urine. No research currently exists to support these claims, but it’ll be fun to try it anyway.

You might ask why I don’t use Elmer Fudd’s method for controlling Bugs Bunny – a gun. Yes, I do have a 4-10 shot gun and know how to shoot it. However, I’ll have to wait since rabbit hunting season in Illinois is from November through early January. We also have a live trap; but in Illinois, an animal removal permit from an Illinois Department of Natural Resources District wildlife biologist is required to trap rabbits.

In the meantime, I’ll try to find joy in watching the rabbits play in my yard. They just better stay away from my landscape plants!