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Aggressive rabbits #744526

Asked April 15, 2021, 2:44 PM EDT

I live in south Mpls-- not a big yard.(but a lot of plants). No one else seems to have the issues I have with rabbits. (the irony is I also have 2 dogs-- one of which is a bunny killer--but that doesn't deter them) I already have a ton of chicken wire around areas in my yard -- but this is literally plaguing my entire yard. I cannot fence in every single plant/shrub. This spring they have eaten every hosta down to ground (before they even had time to come up 1"), grazed phlox, iris, turtlehead, echinacea... in my yard they seem to eat everything they normally would eat plus everything they wouldn't normally eat. (I have never had rabbits eat hostas anywhere else I have lived)

Hennepin County Minnesota

Expert Response

Thanks for your question.

Rabbits can be a problem. I say this from many years of personal experience. Especially at this time of the year they are very hungry and are in the process of producing little bunnies who will soon partake of your garden. I consider this as the price I pay so as to live among other living creatures. In all honesty, there is no quick solution other than fencing everything in. I realize that to do so entails much work and creates an unsightly picture, but there really is no other alternative. You can buy rabbit repellants, as I have done, but they will only work for a short period of time. Once a rain occurs, the repellant will wash away. The only bright side of all of this is that as our season progresses, the rabbits will move on and won’t be as much of a problem. In the interim here is the best resource that I have:

https://www.bachmans.com/information/care-advice/rabbit-control

Good luck. Your dogs may be your best preventative measure.

An Ask Extension Expert Replied April 15, 2021, 11:56 PM EDT

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