There are all kinds of threads on controlling rabbit damage that you could search and read. Given your description of your life, I would recommend barriers. Put trunk protectors around any young or delicious tree trunks. Add a 2 foot tall layer of chicken wire around the outside of your garden fence, and allow an extra 12-18 inches to extend out over the ground to prevent digging. Baby bunnies can slip through chain link without thinking. Ground hogs or wood chucks may still wreak havoc, but we can cross that bridge if we come to it. The benefit of my suggestions is that you do it once and you're done. Applying repellents requires re-treating whenever it rains, and scare tactics wear out over time. Good luck.

Martha

I am not much help. I got a chuckle though, it sounds like Mr. McGregor's cabbage patch.
When I lived near a wooded area my cat would bring baby rabbits in the dog door. Maybe you could get a cat.
Here the animal shelters have what they call barn cats. Semi-feral cats that have been neutered.

I feel your pain. We call our garden the Salad Bar. We gave up on vegetables long ago but the bunnies have a wide ranging palate. I beat an egg in the blender, add it to a couple of cups of water and a shot of dishwashing soap and spray everything they have eaten in the past. So far the barberries, ferns, nasturtiums, basil, a few morning glories and most roses (except a new Lousie Odier) still have leaves. They love the coreopsis but I no longer expect that to ever bloom, it is more like cut and come again lettuce for them.

My mom lives in Ontario and had a lot of rabbits so I gave her Deervik, and it really works! It does not however work for chimunks in her containers, but the rabbits have steered clear!
I have not seen a rabbit in our area for 13 years, and the other day I saw one in a neighbors yard. Normally with all the cats and stray or lost dogs, there aren't any, I was quite surprised to see one!!

If you have a dog groomer near by you could get some dog hair clippings and spread them around the plants that the bunnies seam most drawn to. It works in my country gardens for several years before I have to replace it. I kind of dig it in around the plants. And of course a dog will help. Chiuahhas (sp) and terriers are meant to go after small mammals like rabbits, voles, and moles as they were bred as "hole" dogs. Love my Jack Russell's! They will also keep coons out of the corn. Good luck!

This may not be what you want to read...but get a cat or maybe two! My barn kitties keep everything out of the garden, except the deer. Good luck with 'hunting wabbits' :)

We spray cat and dog begone around veggy area and flowers. But it works for coons rabbits. And we had rabbit eat on apple tree. This was Years ago. We painted it. And put wire around base. This was 16 years ago

There are websites that sell wild animal urine pellets(cougars, bears, etc) which I had considered out of desperation because neighbors who walk their dogs kept using my yard as their dogs' toilet.

My best suggestion is to get a Baxter. They are terrifying creatures, bent on rabbit destruction...

But really, I'd plug up those little holes in your fence, try the rabbit repellent, or at least let a Baxter pee on everything in your yard. Rabbits are hard ones. :(

This post was edited by littlelizzy123 on Thu, Feb 6, 14 at 18:33

Lizzy, your Baxter is an adorable creature altho not too terrifying! Maybe to rabbits but he looks a little laid back, and very cuddly!