Rabbit building a straw home in my garden?

So I have this rabbit problem in my garden. Earlier this year I noticed things getting eaten - beans & carrots most notibly. I assumed rabbits since i've seen some in the area. I bought and put down some deer and rabbit repellents. Liquid Fence being on and another that had blood meal and coyote urine. It seems to have worked. The rabbit(s) are not eating my plants any more. Here's the problem - I have planted two rows of potatoes, one in dirt the other in straw (testing which works better). I have found a hole in one area of the straw pototoes. I've covered it back up numerous times only to find it dug up again. I found the culprite - It's the rabbit. It seems like he/she is not deterred by the repellents. Last night I put more repellent around the area and watched him/her go right back to that spot. The weird thing is that he/she has put grass clipping in that hole...and it had more grass clipping in it's mouth last night.

Is it building a nest? Why would it stay away from the veggies and not the hole (I did dig through it a bit to see if there were any little ones which there wasn't). The rabbit was completely unafraid of me (which is unusual for most wild rabbits).

Any thoughts about this?

It sounds like she is pregnant and is building a nest. She probably will start pulling hair to add to the nest next. Why not leave her alone and then deal with it ? Or build her a nest box in a cage so you have control of the whole bunch when she has them.


edited to add:

However if you do she just might kill them all. It has been a long time since I have had rabbits. Maybe someone else would have a better suggestion.

This message was edited Jul 9, 2010 3:51 PM

Sorry, but I'm not interested in having a rabbit nest in my garden, especially considering that it has already done some extensive damage to my garden. I don't think I'm going to get any beans this year and my carrots are very thin. They might be cute but they are a whole lot cuter at a farm. There is plenty of woods, shrubs, etc. around me where they can live. ALso there's quite a few large hawks around as well so I don't think my garden would be the best area for them nest.



This message was edited Jul 10, 2010 11:47 AM

Well then she is very determined it sounds like to me. So, the second suggestion sounds like the best option.

Build a cage and let her have her babes and then take them to the humane society or put an ad in the paper for free bunnies. And, just think of all that wonderful fertilizer you will get in the meantime.

Kevin - if this is a "domestic rabbit" that has escaped, then you should be able to find a home for her. If it's a "wild rabbit" then I don't think she will take too kindly to being caged.

My only suggestion for keeping rabbits out of your garden is a "rabbit proof" fence.

Well, he said she was not shy. I took that to mean that she wasn't afraid of him. Meaning a domestic. I think it is pretty obvious that she is pregnant and that he should do something to help her soon. Their gestation period is not very long. I don't know how long the rabbit has been acting this particular way, of nest building.

I guess I meant that if he didn't help her then he was going to have a whole bunch of them instead of just one.

Your uninvited rabbit is probably a mini-rex, a domestic breed that looks like wild rabbits. They have great personalities and should be easy to give away. (It doesn't sound like you're ready to off Mama Rabbit).

Gestation period is 30 days. She'll have bunnies a few days after pulling fur, and the babies will start to be weaned in 3-4 weeks. Mama rabbits stay completely away from the nest except once or twice a day, when they sneak in to nurse.

Rabbit poop is the best fertilizer in the world, doesn't have to be aged, is all I use in my garden. But I'm already a rabbit owner, so you're probably not inclined to start a 4-H project at this point. You just want Mama out of your garden.

Rabbits can't STAND citrus. Cut a couple of lemons or grapefruit in half and she won't go near them. Not true with chile peppers (mine eat them!).

You can try scooping up the nest and moving it, or putting chicken wire over it so she can't get back in. She'll make another nest elsewhere if she has time. If you move the nest and babies, she'll probably abandon them, not kill them. And she'll be pregnant again in a week.

Sounds like the main challenge is to get Mama Rabbit out of your garden for good. She and her babies WILL eat your tender plants down to the ground. An experienced rabbit person should be able to catch her and pick her up if she's tame, or you may be able to trap her and send her to Bunny Rescue (yes, that's a real organization). Fond as I am of the critters, I would not have them loose in my garden!

Or you could borrow an annoying dog for a week.

Pic is of one of my does stealing a blanket to make a nest in the house. These are determined creatures, and not dumb!