Monday, May 17, 2010

Non-toxic methods to deter Rabbits from your Garden

Rabbits may be cute but when they start eating your fresh organic produce before it picked it's not cute at all!

There's a few things you can do to deter bunnies aside from, or in addition to, the usual rabbit fencing...here's some suggestions...

Use their fear of their natural predators (cats, dogs, foxes, owls, humans) as deterrents...
~ If you have a cat or dog, brush them and spread their hair around the garden. Human hair works too. Ask your local hairdresser to save clippings.
~ Spread used kitty litter about the garden.
~ Buy fox urine at a hunting supply store and spread it around the garden (human urine works too if you have a cooperative male willing to volunteer for the job. LOL:-)
~ Place a statue of an owl in the garden.

Plant garlic bulbs close together all around the outside garden perimeter so that it forms a living 'garlic fence'.

Make up a spray using hot peppers. It's a similar concept to birdseed mixes containing hot pepper powder such as cayenne...doesn't affect the birds but deters squirrels from eating the seed.

To make the spray, in a blender, place...

~ a handful of habaƱero peppers or scotch bonnets (2 of the hottest peppers on the planet!)
~ a full head of garlic with cloves separated but not peeled
~ a handful of marigold leaves, if available
~ add water to top of blender jar and liquefy

Strain out solids and place liquid into a sprayer jar and spray your plants.
Throw the strained remains onto the garden as well.
 *mixture must be reapplied after every rain