While they may be adorable little animals, they can create quite a bit of trouble around your home. Rabbits are notorious for ruining gardens, flower beds, and ornamental trees, and they can be a general nuisance that you’re best off avoiding.
There are plenty of rabbit deterrent products on the market. However, many of them are derived from harsh chemicals that you’d rather not use around your pets and family. Fortunately, there are some dog safe rabbit repellent options that you can use today to rid you of your rabbit problem.
Ways to Deter Rabbits
While rabbit repellents are generally the best way to get rid of rabbits in your yard, there some other things you can do to protect your gardens and trees from these creatures.
Garden Fencing
One option that’s sure to protect your gardens is either permanent or movable garden fencing.
Two-foot tall chicken wire is a favorite way to protect gardens from hungry rabbits. Staking the chicken wire every 6 inches or show provides a powerful enough barrier to keep most rabbits from breaching the fence.
Unfortunately, chicken wire is an unsightly option and can ruin the look of a garden, especially if it’s ornamental. As a result, many people avoid using chicken wire fencing.
Another fencing option is a movable fence. These fences are usually foldable for easy storage, and they provide a durable barrier to keep rabbits out of your garden while your gardens are their most vulnerable. During the off-season, they can easily be stowed away.
Tree Protection
You’ll find a variety of products that help protect your trees from rabbits, such as tree wrap or plastic tree guards. These products usually safeguard the first 18-24 inches of ornamental trees and foliage and help to prevent rabbits from eating the bark.
Make Your Yard Less Attractive to Rabbits
Rabbits are timid creatures, and they thrive in areas where there are plenty of hiding places. Rabbits are more comfortable in areas where they can quickly take cover.
So, by removing these areas from your yard, you can help to make it less attractive to rabbits. Timid rabbits are less likely to spend time in your yard, and they spend less time eating than rabbits that feel safe.
By doing things like cutting tall grass and thickets and trimming bushes and shrubs, you’ll be able to create an environment that rabbits don’t feel comfortable in.
Scare Devices
Products like scare tape, or lawn fixtures with moving parts, like windmills can help to spook rabbits away from your gardens. In the case of lawn ornaments, they can also add a decorative flair to your yard.
Repellents
Rabbit repellents are perhaps the most effective way to keep your yard rabbit free. It’s important to carefully read the instructions on these products as some of them can be toxic to people and animals. Fortunately, there are many different pet safe rabbit repellents on the market that can help you safely remedy your rabbit problem.
Best Pet Safe Rabbit Repellents
Whether you’re looking for the best overall rabbit repellent, the best value, or the most effective product on the market, there are plenty of rabbit repellents to choose from. The options below are all pet safe rabbit repellent options that make an excellent choice for families with children and animals.
Luster Leaf Organic Deer and Rabbit Repellent – Best Value
These organic animal repellents from Luster leaf are one of the longest lasting repellents on the market. Unlike other repellents which are sprayed in your yard, or sprinkled around your garden or trees, Luster Leaf chooses a different method altogether to deter animals.
This repellent is a spike that you place in the ground around your garden. It’s made with a blend of garlic oil and soybean oil, and the scent it produces deters deer and rabbits from entering your garden or other areas in your yard.
This repellent works for a longer period than any other repellent on our list and only needs to be replaced every 6-8 months, which makes it a great value pick.
Pros
Cons
Luster Leaf Organic Deer and Rabbit Repellent
Bonide Shot-Gun Repells-All Animal Repellent – Best Overall
If you’re looking for a comprehensive solution for your rabbit problem, this product from Bonide may be your best choice.
Not only does Repels-All keep rabbits away, but it also works on deer, dogs, cats, chipmunks, raccoons and more.
This product uses a blend of dried blood, rotten eggs, and garlic oil to create a powerful repellent that nuisance animals want nothing to do with. While other products use different blends of ingredients, the ingredients in Repels-All are accepted as the industry standard for keeping small animals away from your gardens and trees.
Pros
Cons
Bonide Shot-Gun Repells-All Animal Repellent
Nature’s Mace Deer and Rabbit Repellent – Most Affordable
If you’re looking for an effective solution that won’t break the bank, Nature’s Mace may be a good choice for you.
This repellent features a similar ingredient blend to Repels-All, so you know it will offer a comprehensive and effective way to control nuisance animals.
Nature’s Mace is also available in a smaller container, which is ideal for people looking to save money, as well as anyone who only needs to treat a small garden area with the repellent.
Pros
Cons
Nature’s Mace Deer and Rabbit Repellent
Liquid Fence HG-70109 Animal Repellent, 1 gal
You can get a gallon of the Liquid Fence Rabbit & Deer Repellent for pretty cheap, and it really works. The scent alone is enough to keep hungry rabbits away from your precious edible or ornamental plants.
Perhaps what I like the most about this product is the built-in dispersal mechanism. The container comes with its own sprayer. You can grab onto the hose tip after removing the sprayer, pull it to extend the coiled tube, and then stick the hose tip into the cap.
Once you hear a snap, you’re ready to spray. The nozzle also comes with different spray patterns so that you can disperse the formula more economically or in more concentrated batches. It’s recommended that you do so along a perimeter and not so much on the plants themselves as you might taint them.
I should also mention that this formula is best-suited for dry seasons. Or, at least consider spraying when it’s not pouring or snowing. This product is not the most weatherproof option out there. But its effectiveness, when used properly, makes it a top contender nonetheless.
Nature’s Mace Deer & Rabbit Repellent 1 Gal Spray/Covers 5,600 Sq. Ft. / Repel Deer from Your Home & Garden/Safe to use Around Children, Plants & Produce/Protect Your Garden Instantly
The Nature’s Mace Deer & Rabbit Mace liquid spray comes in various sizes, with the 1-gallon container probably being the most economical. This should be enough to treat around 5,600 sq. ft. of land, more than enough for the average household.
One of the formula’s best features is its rain resistance. This means that you can use it all year-round. The liquid is quite odorless, at least for humans. Rabbits won’t like it one bit. You can even use it if you have a nighttime irrigation system in place, which makes it that much more valuable.
This liquid formula is also ready to use. It doesn’t need any water added in order to work. Among the list of ingredients, you’ll find white pepper, mint oil, putrescent whole egg, garlic, sodium lauryl sulfate, citric acid, and others.
Although concentrated and effective, the Deer & Rabbit Mace ready-to-use formula is quite odorless. It can also be applied on plants too since it has taste components, but it’s generally more effective when used to create a barrier around plants.
Another reason why I recommend this is because the container comes with its own sprayer. This will make the application as well as storage easier.
Final Verdict
When it comes to protecting your garden and landscaping from invasive animals, you need a comprehensive solution that’s going to keep your yard safe.
With that in mind, our top pick is Bonide Repels-All. Not only does it provide a strong repellent for rabbits, but it also keeps virtually all other species of animal away from your gardens and landscaping as well. It may be a bit more expensive than other options, but when it comes to keeping your garden safe, it works like a charm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rabbit Scram Safe To Use Around Dogs?
Rabbit Scram is completely safe to use if you have dogs. This rabbit repellent works by creating an offensive odor that scares rabbits off because it smells like death–so there is nothing toxic in this product that is dangerous to your dogs.
Is Shake Away Rabbit Repellent Safe To Use Around Dogs?
Shake Away Rabbit Repellent granules are not toxic to dogs. Because these granules are simply impregnated with fox urine, there isn’t anything in them that are dangerous to dogs. Because of their pungent smell, it’s likely that your dog won’t want anything to do with them anyways!
Last update on 2023-10-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
