Rabbits on Plants

Symptoms

Rabbit damage shows first on twigs and buds, where the cut is clean and slanted at about 45°. Rabbits use their incisors to make that diagonal cut. The cut looks knifelike, with no apparent toothmarks, unlike the ragged break that deer leave.

Rabbits tend to gnaw the smooth, thin bark from young trees. The bark is gnawed in patches rather than continuously. A girdled trunk shows a ring of outer and inner bark removed. Larger trees and shrubs can die after a large amount of bark is removed.

Most damage occurs close to the ground, within 2.5 feet (0.76 m) above it. Most of what you see will be low on the plant, since the damage stays close to the ground. In winter, young plants may be clipped off at snow height. Plastic irrigation lines may be gnawed and cut.

Round droppings (pellets) or rabbit tracks may be visible near the damage. Check twigs and buds for the clean diagonal cut that rabbits leave. Check the base of each young tree for gnawed bark in patches.

Causes

Several kinds of rabbit cause this damage, and size and numbers matter. The black-tailed jackrabbit is the most destructive rabbit pest because of its size and abundance. Desert cottontails and brush rabbits also feed on plants, and they need dense cover such as brushy areas.

Wildland or brushy areas next to irrigated gardens or crops give rabbits cover within easy travel distance of food. Brushy areas appear twice in this list, once as the habitat of cottontails and brush rabbits and once as cover beside crops. An abundance of rabbits in the area is also listed as a cause.

A lack of food or cover can motivate rabbits to relocate into gardens. Long periods of snow cover in winter drive increased feeding on woody plants. Young trees are easy targets because their bark is smooth and thin, which makes it easy for rabbits to eat. Size, numbers, cover and food all play a part.

Diagnosis

To tell rabbit damage from other problems, look closely at the cut surfaces and at where the damage sits. Rabbits leave a clean diagonal cut at about 45° on twigs and buds. Deer leave a ragged break instead. A knifelike slanting cut with no apparent toothmarks points to rabbits.

Rabbit damage is concentrated within 2.5 feet (0.76 m) above the ground. On trunks, rabbits gnaw bark in patches rather than continuously. Check for round droppings (pellets) or rabbit tracks near the damage. In snowy winters, look for young plants clipped off at snow height.

Gnawed and cut plastic irrigation lines are another sign of rabbits. Next, think about the site, since rabbits need cover such as brushy areas. Wildland or brushy areas next to your garden fit the causes listed for rabbits. A garden with no nearby cover may still be visited when rabbits lack food or cover elsewhere.

If the cut, the height and the droppings all match, rabbits are the likely cause.

Treatments

Build a fence with mesh no larger than 1 inch (2.5 cm). Use wire 48 inches (122 cm) tall and bury the bottom 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) in the ground. Increase the above-ground height to 3 feet (0.9 m) to discourage jumping. A 2-foot (0.6 m) chicken-wire garden fence is another option. Keep its bottom tight to the ground or bury it a few inches, with mesh 1 inch (2.5 cm) or smaller.

Electric netting fencing is an alternative to woven-wire exclusion fencing. Protect young tree trunks with cylinders of poultry netting or commercial trunk protectors. Cylinders of 0.25-inch (6 mm) wire hardware cloth protect young orchard trees or landscape plants. Remove brambles, brush piles, stones or other debris near plantings that give rabbits a place to hide.

Keep grass mowed, clear weed patches and dumps, and fill old woodchuck or skunk burrows to reduce cover. A dog ranging loose in the area can help deter rabbits. Cottontails and brush rabbits trap more readily than jackrabbits, which are very difficult to capture. Shooting where legal can eliminate small numbers in rural locations.

Among organic options, a fear-inducing repellent containing dried blood needs frequent reapplying, especially after rain or irrigation. A repellent containing putrescent whole-egg solids can reduce browsing. Tobacco dust and dried blood meal go among the plants, not on them, as an odor repellent.

Odor repellents with ammonium soaps of higher fatty acids can be sprayed or painted on foliage of consumable plants such as vegetables and fruit. A capsaicin-based taste repellent goes on fruit and vegetable plants only before the fruits or vegetables are present or after they are removed. A thiram-based taste repellent suits ornamentals and dormant fruit trees; thiram products are effective but can be skin irritants. A denatonium saccharide repellent is used in the dormant season, though it has been found less effective than other options. The product label is the legal instruction, so follow it for the crop and site you are treating.

Prevention

Prevention comes down to the conditions around your plants. Remove brambles, brush piles, stones and other debris near plantings that give rabbits a place to hide. Keep grass mowed and fill old woodchuck or skunk burrows to reduce cover.

Wildland or brushy areas next to irrigated gardens put cover within easy travel distance of food. Lack of food or cover elsewhere can send rabbits into gardens. Long snow cover in winter increases feeding on woody plants.

Young trees have smooth, thin bark that is easy for rabbits to eat. Cylinders of poultry netting or wire hardware cloth around young trunks are a physical barrier. A fence with mesh of 1 inch (2.5 cm) or smaller keeps young rabbits out.

Plants most often affected

Rabbits feed on many garden plants, including vegetables such as bean, beet, broccoli, carrot, lettuce and pea. The listed fruit and nut crops are almond, apple, blackberry, cherry, citrus, pistachio, plum, raspberry and strawberry. Cilantro and parsley are also on the list. Young trees show gnawed bark.

• Blackeyed Susan