If you can find the rabbit hole toss a gopher bomb down the hole and cover it with dirt when it starts to smoke will take care of it. They sell them at hardware stores in a four pack about $5-$6.

Very safe and non toxic for anything that is not in the hole and no lingering effects.

You can try spreading blood meal around the garden, the smell will deter rabbits and is a fertilizer for the garden too.

If you use chicken wire you have to bury it. Chicken wire will work though, because rabbit pens are made of chicken wire.

It may be a pain in the neck to get at your garden with chicken wire all around it.

kubotabx2200 that is why another invention was created soon after the fence, this invention was the gate.

onoffexitramp I laughed when I read that but look Jack's original post. He already said he can't fence the whole garden. He is looking for "a safe deterrent in the meantime" that is " before the rabbit eats the whole plant"

Surround that bed with chicken wire and the rabbit can't get at it but it will be hard for Jack to tend the vegetable bed either. At least that's how I see it.

We've used chicken wire in the past but we didn't really bury it, so it works poorly and is irritating to work around- so yes, bury it. I've also noticed rabbits destroying my baby watermellon and cucumber plants, but what I've had almost as much trouble with it deterring birds from using my garden. I've seen a few doves come and peck around in my pots, and robins will go down into the plot and peck for worms. lol

Really, in my opinion a thing to do is simply plant in abundance. Hopefully, the animals and bugs won't be able to eat all of what you planted (?).

Plant large marigolds around the perimetre of your garden, they hate them. Sometimes the clippings of your own hair placed around the garden as well will keep them out as they will smell "human" and stay away.

I have a bunny family in my yeard too, they're multiplying like rabbits! I wouldnt mind if they ate "some" of the plant, but the gotta chomp it down to the (#)@ ground. DH says "good fences make good bunnies".

Have-a-hart traps work to an extent. Bait them with what the rabbits are eating. We have good luck baiting with pea leaves. Lots of 'em.

I put up some chicken wire, planted some marigolds around the lettuce and replanted the plants that were eaten.

Lets see if that works. The guys are the nuresery comfirmed the marigolds idea. I guess bunnies hate any heavy fragrance.

thanks for the help...you guys are great.

jack

I had a lot of wild rabbits. At any given time, I could see 20 or so in the back yard.

I tried "Shake Away," the powder made of bobcat urine (or maybe it's coyote...it's somebody's urine dried up).

WORKS GREAT!

In fact it worked so well I pretty much ran off the rabbits completely. That saddened me, because I did enjoy watching them frolic in the yard.

Even though my local nurseries are anti organic it seems, they do all have Shake Away. (There are similar products) It's under ten dollars, you just sprinkle around the perimeter. It doesn't smell unless you stick your face in it.

I really believe in this stuff.

BTW, I had a neighbor (they've moved now) with some dogs behind a fence. One baby wild bunny got in the yard and was killed. My neighbor buried the poor thing in MY GARDEN. His wife found out and made him confess.

His reason? He figured my soil was softer.

Um yeah, because IT'S A GARDEN. I've never really recovered from the bizarro factor of a neighbor burying a dead animal IN MY GARDEN.

But get some Shake Away and try it...it works too well, at least on my many cute bunnies.

I would suggest getting some chicken wire. String it around your garden to form a fence. Keep it far enough away from the plants so that it isn't in the way, and don't put too much effort into it because you are just going to have to take it down in a few months for winter. That way you can mow the morning glory etc that was growing on it and the fence will last longer if it spends the winter in the garage. Now, here is the important part; when no one is looking, shoot all the rabbits with a pellet gun. Bury the dead rabbits in Juliannas garden. Problem solved.

LOL, you fertilizersalesman! Keep the dead rabbits out of my garden! Burying the little guys is good, but somewhere else please. I'll freak if I dig one up.

I really miss those rabbits I ran off. I used to chase them around and try to catch them. They were so cute.

fertilizersalesman, why do you say you'll have to take the fence down for the winter? Why not just leave it up?

You could try spraying coyote urine or "big cat" urine around the perimeter of your garden. They sell it at most feed stores. You could also buy a "live" trap from Home Depot or a hardware store. As you catch them, drive them a couple of miles away and set them free next to a creek or river.
If that doesn't work, buy a .22 caliber pellet gun. Rabbit has a very mild tasting meat.

"Burying the little guys is good"

You do know that rabbits are made of meat right? Don't let their deaths be a waste, put them to good use on your table, cook like chicken only under lower heat.

I can tell you right now that big ape urine also works.:)

coyote pee has kepted the woodchucks from eating my garden so far, but then again i dont have much growing right now. but the nice yummy letuce leaves are untouched.