# Gardeners: What Rabbit Foilers Work For You? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 11, 2007, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535 "2007-06-11T04:48:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/1 "2007-06-11T04:48:25Z")
Gotta problem with rabbits eating up the garden. [This article](http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2007/06/10/living/home_and_garden/doc4669dfcc2aa16168638768.txt) suggests putting jars of water around what you want to protect. Other Google suggestions include planting marigolds or garlic, putting out a piece of hose to simulate a snake, parking an imitation owl out there, or fencing the garden off. Anybody have a simple, but proven, method to foil the diabolical lagomorphs? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/2 "2007-06-11T06:33:02Z")
The only technique that has actually been **effective** for me is twofold: - high, tight, complete fence around most of the garden (which is a pain every time you want to work in the garden), and - outside the fence, plant some “sacrificial” crops that you don’t care if the rabbits eat. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/3 "2007-06-11T06:38:41Z")
I have lots of rabbits and I use a 3 ft. high chicken wire fence, staked about every 4 to 5 ft. You have to keep it tight to the ground so they can’t get under the wire. At three ft. I can step over it. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/4 "2007-06-11T15:11:06Z")
The only good method is a barrier, and for most people it’s a fence that has only small holes. You could try a deep trench if you want to get medieval. Marigolds are normally left alone by a rabbit, but they’ll eat them. They surely don’t stop rabbits. ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/5 "2007-06-11T15:36:42Z")
Fencing is the only thing that works. They make some nice, coated black chicken wire - I put it around the bottom of my 6 foot deer fencing, and bury it in by 5-6 inches. so far, that has kept the woodchucks and squirrels out, too. Maybe it is time to move back to urbia… ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/6 "2007-06-11T16:28:19Z")
I’ve used Marigolds, bags of fox fur, bags of human hair, coyote urine, and in the end, a 3-ft chicken wire fence worked the best. I went so far as to burry it 6 inches into the soil. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/7 "2007-06-11T16:29:40Z")
A CO[sub]2[/sub] gun, unless your spouse and kids (and dogs) have decided the bunny is part of the family. You can’t shoot it if it has a name. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/8 "2007-06-11T16:32:23Z")
[QUOTE=dropzone] You can’t shoot it if it has a name. [/QUOTE] …unless they name it **dropzone**! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/9 "2007-06-11T16:37:23Z")
Aluminum foil works good, just wrap tightly to prevent freezer burn. [sub]Disclaimer: I don’t eat rabbits or other wild critters. I just felt this thread was missing the obligatory reference to eating the pesky critter and I wanted to fill the void. [/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/10 "2007-06-11T20:03:31Z")
I doubt any of this is 100% effective, but some swear by Liquid Fence (a spray preparation that stinks of rotten eggs when wet, but is odorless when dry (except to rabbits, deer and other vermin)). Putting trimmings from thorny bushes (roses, barberries etc.) around plants may protect them from soft-footed predatory critters. Havahart traps are good for catching rabbits. May not be legal in all jurisdictions, especially if you release them on the mayor’s property. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/11 "2007-06-11T22:11:23Z")
Two beagles. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/12 "2007-06-11T22:32:53Z")
There’s a spray called “Liquid Fence” that I’ve found to be effective – stinks to high heaven and on the $$ end (around $12 for a liter) but it works. Does require reapplication after a heavy rain. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/13 "2007-06-12T04:16:22Z")
James Crockett prescribed Rabbit Fence. Sears sells a vinyl coated 3 foot high fence; the first foot is 1 x 4, and it’s 4 x 4 in the top two feet. It hasn’t failed me in 20 years. Moving to the city means more rabbits; it’s not legal to hunt them here. Folklore says they won’t cross a border of onions or a border of human hair (see your barber.) I wouldn’t bet the crop on it. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/14 "2007-06-12T04:25:17Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E] Aluminum foil works good, just wrap tightly to prevent freezer burn. [sub]Disclaimer: I don’t eat rabbits or other wild critters. I just felt this thread was missing the obligatory reference to eating the pesky critter and I wanted to fill the void. [/sub] [/QUOTE] Actually, I would like to try rabbit some time, but this is in town, and all firearms, including BB guns, are forbidden. Besides, some of them are this year’s brood, and I would feel bad about it. I suppose I shouldn’t, because I read that the average lifespan of rabbits is only 12-15 months. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/15 "2007-06-12T04:40:37Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] Two beagles. [/QUOTE] I have one, but he’s not much help. At 14 or 15 years of age, he is almost totally deaf, and his vision is not much good past 15 feet or so. His nose is OK - he always wakes up when the popcorn pops. Plus he hasn’t had hardly any experience with rabbits, and he is nearly always indoors anyway because of neighbor problems. Yes, neighbor problems, not problems with the dog himself. :rolleyes: My buddy is not boring, though. Read about his Christmas [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=401863&highlight=holidays). ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/16 "2007-06-12T04:47:38Z")
[QUOTE=Oslo Ostragoth] My buddy is not boring, though. Read about his Christmas [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=401863&highlight=holidays). [/QUOTE] Still one of my all-time favorite threads. Should I give it a bump? ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/17 "2007-06-12T05:11:37Z")
[QUOTE=Oslo Ostragoth] Actually, I would like to try rabbit some time, but this is in town, and all firearms, including BB guns, are forbidden. Besides, some of them are this year’s brood, and I would feel bad about it. I suppose I shouldn’t, because I read that the average lifespan of rabbits is only 12-15 months. [/QUOTE] You can probably find it in the grocery store. Tastes like chicken. Okay, so I ate rabbit once but my mother tricked me. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/18 "2007-06-12T13:14:42Z")
There are rabbit breeders in most cities. If you want to cook some rabbit stew, look in the classifed ads under pets and/or livestock. In the spring, the ad will say, “Easter bunnies, live or dressed.” ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-rabbit-foilers-work-for-you/407535/19 "2007-06-12T13:38:08Z")
[QUOTE=Fetchund] Fencing is the only thing that works. [/QUOTE] Tell that to King Arthur!