Although cute and cuddly, rabbits can sometimes be a nuisance when kept outside, especially in the garden. They tend to destroy the greenery you worked hard to grow, and the problem is even more complicated if you live in the countryside.
These creatures often jump into your yard and start ravaging your plants, vegetables, and fruits, particularly during cold seasons. Your only option in such a situation is to find the most effective rabbit repellent to keep them out of your property.
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Rabbit Repellents Types
Liquid repellents
This repellent type usually comes in spray or concentrate forms that attack an animal’s sense of smell or taste. They are effortless to apply, especially to hard-to-reach areas, like sheds and garbage cans, where you can expect to find wild animals.
You can use liquid repellents on non-edible plants, soil, mulch, or grass. These products are also convenient to spray over birdfeeders without worrying since the repellents don’t affect them.
The best option is to apply them directly to the objects that animals might find attractive or want to get close to. Always choose the repellent with a sprayer to dispense the liquid over as large an area as possible.
In most cases, these products last 30 to 90 days after opening the bottle, but it depends on the type you bought and the surface you want to spray. Be aware that liquid repellents are ineffective at temperatures under 40 F (4.4 C), making them useless during the winter.
Granular repellents
Granular repellents are unpleasant to bunnies’ sense of smell and taste and successfully stop them from entering your garden or invading your lawn. The best way is to spread pellets around the area you wish to protect or form a barrier that will stop animals from crossing inside your property.
One of the most significant advantages of granular repellents is that you can see they are still present, so you can add new ones only when needed.
Granular repellents are also better than liquid products in cold regions with frequent snowfall because you can use them even during winter. That makes them an excellent solution in the northern states.
Most Effective Rabbit Repellents
Your goal is to purchase the best rabbit repellent product currently available on the market. The first step is to determine whether you need a liquid or granular product or prefer those powered by solar energy. Let’s take a look at your options.
1. Deer & rabbit repellent
With good reason, Liquid Fence holds the championship title amongst rabbit repellent manufacturers. Their Dear and Rabbit repellent is the most popular product of that kind on the market. They currently provide four product types within the BIG 4 offer, including Liquid Fence 110, 112, 113, and 265.
The LF113 packed in a 40 ounces (1.2 l) plastic canister is the most concentrated and potent existing mixture. Apart from the active ingredients, this product contains solids garlic and putrescent whole egg.
Applying this mixture is pretty effortless, and you only need to add 8 ounces (0.2 l) to 1 gallon (3.8 l) of water before spraying it over the desired area. According to the manual, you are to respray your garden once every two weeks for the first month and then monthly.
Experienced gardeners recommend spraying Liquid Fence 113 on the leaves and trunks of your plants for greater efficiency. The good thing is that this product won’t poison birds and pets. Unfortunately, it is also not as effective when applied to vegetables and fruits, so you should spray it around stems instead.
Pros
- This product is highly effective and easy to apply
- It is not harmful to birds and pets
- It contains both active and natural ingredients
Cons
- Some customers hate its smell
- It is an expensive product
2. Granular rabbit repellent
You can apply this repellent to any landscape, including lawns, gardens, or near tree trunks or climbing plants. A single packaging of 6 pounds (2.7 kg) can cover up to 1.14 acres (0.46 ha). It lasts up to a month and a half after opening a package, and rain or wind won’t reduce its efficiency.
This repellent contains peppermint oil and putrescent egg solid, but gardeners claim they also have found mixed dry blood and bone flour. Even though this product is harmless to people, you should wear protective gloves when manipulating with granules.
Using the product is effortless and requires spreading the granules on the ground and leaves. The great thing is that it is not harmful to plants but makes rabbits ignore and avoid them.
Pros
- You can use this repellent on any landscape, but it can be hard to use when it is raining and windy
- It can last for more than a month after opening it
Cons
- The trigger mechanism requires frequent tweaking
- The product is expensive
3. Liquid rabbit repellent
It is one more repellent the Nature’s Mace produces. You need to dissolve this concentrated formula in water, according to the instructions written on the packaging. You should spray such prepared solution over the desired area with a spray bottle, hose, or watering can.
Remember that there is no need to spray the product all over your garden. Applying it along edges will successfully keep rabbits away. Although the bottle doesn’t have the ingredients listed, it is assumed they are the same as on their granular Rabbit Repellent.
This product comes as a concentrate in a packaging of 40 ounces (1.2 l), but you will get 5 gallons (19 l) of liquid after mixing it with water.
This amount is enough for up to a month, but you can apply this product only when sunny weather. If you need to repeat the process because of rain, one pack will last only a few weeks.
Pros
- One packaging can cover 0.64 acres (0.26 hectares)
- You can apply it in multiple ways
Cons
- You can’t use this product while raining
4. Repels-all animal granular repellent
The best thing about this product is that Bonide doesn’t add any artificial chemicals or toxins to it since the company’s primary goal is to protect kids and pets.
This manufacturer relies on the effects of the essential oils, particularly cinnamon, cedar, rosemary cloves, and lemongrass. Therefore, you can apply this repellent even indoors when needed.
Even though Bonide suggests that this new product’s action lasts one year regardless of the weather conditions, it is still not officially proven. For now, reviews are good, and customers claim it withstands even heavy rains.
The problem is the price since this repellent costs as much as Nature’s Mace product, but it weighs only half of that pack. Additionally, its smell is repulsive, so most people avoid using it indoors, although it is safe for this purpose.
Pros
- This repellent is equally efficient against rabbits, deer, bugs, and rodents
- It doesn’t contain artificial chemicals
- This product is excellent for outdoor use since it can successfully withstand lousy weather
Cons
- This repellent smells unpleasantly
- It is expensive
5. Rabbit repellent with botanical oils
The I Must Garden has been one of the gardeners’ top-trusted brands for over a decade. Their pre-mixed formula is reliable, durable, and provides excellent protection against pests.
The product consists of organic, natural ingredients that smell terrible to rabbits but not humans. The manufacturer incorporates a mint scent into the formula, making its use pleasurable.
This rabbit repellent is water-resistant, meaning there is no need to reapply it after heavy rain or thunderstorm. The formula is non-toxic and not harmful to humans, pets, or pollinators.
The concentrate is expensive, but it is among the rare products explicitly created to repel rabbits and keep them away from your garden. You can even use it on newly flourished flowers.
Pros
- The product is effective even during rainy days
- It comes in an already prepared mixture
- It smells pleasant, thanks to the added mint scent
Cons
- You can’t use this repellent under 40 F (4.4 C)
- It is expensive
6. Rabbit Scram granular repellent
The Enviro Pro’s rabbit repellent is a quite affordable product available in a large package, making it an appropriate option for sizable estates. It is non-toxic to pets, plants, and people and works immediately after application.
Unfortunately, this repellent is inefficient during a dry season since intense sunlight and lack of moisture reduces its potency. Therefore, you probably need to reapply it sooner than planned in the summer.
Pros
- The product is long-lasting, affordable, and non-toxic to people and pets
- You can find it in a large, 6 pounds (2.7 kg) heavy packaging
Cons
- It is lower effective during dry weather
7. Tomcat animal repellent
This liquid repellent contains only natural ingredients that are not harmful to humans, pets, and pollinators. Therefore, you can use this product in vegetable gardens without restrictions.
It contains specific essential oils that smell more intense than rabbits can handle. The only thing to do is to apply the product twice a week in the first two weeks and then once every four to six weeks.
Spraying is amazingly effortless, thanks to a spray bottle attached to the pack. Even though the manufacturer claims that the repellent is rain resistant, it is better to reapply it a day after too heavy storms.
Pros
- This rain-resistant repellent contains only natural ingredients
- The manufacturer offers a money-back guarantee if you are unsatisfied with the product
Cons
- You need to apply this product more often than others at the very beginning
- It is necessary to reapply it right after a heavy storm
8. Rain resistant animal repellent
This repellent is an excellent option for smaller gardens. A package contains 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg), so you can use it to cover approximately 1,750 sq ft (162.6 m2).
This product is fully organic and contains natural ingredients, making it safe for pets, humans, and pollinators. However, the formula is somewhat unconventional since it contains pure bovine and porcine blood.
The purpose of blood smell is to convince rabbits that predators are nearby. As expected, it keeps them far away from the specific area. This product is expensive, but you can typically use it for the entire year, making it profitable in the long run.
Pros
- This highly effective repellent typically lasts for a year
- It is a fully organic product
Cons
- It is expensive
9. Ultrasonic rabbit deterrent
This product is entirely unlike the others on this list. Granular and liquid repellents require spending hours every month to protect your garden, while this one saves your time and effort.
The ultrasonic rabbit deterrent is a small electronic device powered by solar energy, and there is no need to change batteries. Plus, the device charges regardless of weather conditions.
It will be enough to stake the deterrent into the ground and let it do the rest. It has a detection radius of 30 feet (9 m) and a passive infrared detector. Once an animal steps into that radius, the repellent emits a sound inaudible to the human ear and flashes light from the LED, looking like predators’ eyes.
Even though the manufacturer claims the device is water-resistant, you should avoid using it on rainy days. It can break down in contact with liquid because water sometimes enters the interior and prevents it from working correctly.
Pros
- The repellent comes with adjustable frequencies
- It is designed to irritate rabbits, deer, and most other pests
- This easy-to-apply product comes without a bad smell
- It is inexpensive
Cons
- It can break down in contact with water
Summary
Nowadays, you can choose between liquid and granular repellents and rabbit deterrents, depending on your needs. Even though most of them smell bad, they are highly effective against rabbits and successfully keep them out of your yard. Be careful, and use only non-toxic products, particularly if you have kids and pets.
