Perhaps you had a pet rabbit as a child? Or maybe your kids have a bunny? Well, the rabbits that frequent your lawn and garden are not the same kind of breed. Rabbits out there in the wild are nuisance rabbits because they are capable of and known for causing landscaping and crop damage in residential and commercial areas. A top target for nuisance rabbits are trees, especially shrubbery. If you have noticed an increase in rabbit activity or tree damage on your property, you may want to think about animal proofing.
Continue reading to learn some safe and effective ways to stop nuisance rabbits from damaging your trees and shrubs this year.
Nuisance Rabbits Target Trees and Shrubs for Food
During the winter, rabbits are more of a nuisance to trees and shrubs since gardens and flowerbeds are not in bloom just yet. Rabbit tampering can lead to serious tree defects and decline, or even kill trees, especially younger ones. Common targets include fruit trees, namely apple, crabapple, and pear. However, trees and shrubs like serviceberry, barberry, raspberry, redbud, honey locust, flowering quince, burning bush (winged euonymus), and even roses are also commonly sought out in the wintertime by rabbits.
Rabbit Damages
What do rabbits do to trees and shrubs this time of year? Well, they rely on them as a source of food when other sources for food are scarce. Rabbits primarily eat an herbivorous diet consisting of seasonal vegetation, mostly grass and other leafy plants. But in the winter, these sources are sparser, forcing rabbits to look elsewhere for nutrition and sustenance.
Trees and shrubs provide soft tissue just on the inside of the bark, which happens to be nutritious enough for rabbits. Accessing the soft tissue beneath the tree bark is a rabbit behavior known as tree girdling. Girdling can cause irreversible damage to a tree, as well as lasting defects and safety hazards.
Rabbit Control
To stop rabbits from destroying your trees and shrubs from now on, you will need to implement some effective rabbit control and animal-proofing strategies. To begin, consider a fencing system. Small and young trees, as well as any vulnerable plants, should be protected using chicken wire or other type of fencing. Fences should be high enough to prevent rabbits from jumping over them, but deep enough in the ground to stop rabbits from digging their way in. Tree guards and tree wraps work very well to thwart wildlife tampering as well.
Another popular and effective method of protecting tree and landscaping from rabbit damages is a non-toxic repellent. Rabbits hate certain scents and sensations and will stay away from areas that have them. Mix clean water with capsaicin oil (or just some cayenne pepper) and putrescent egg, then spray around the perimeter of your trees. Be sure to keep curious pets and children away from treated areas.
The best strategy, since it is guaranteed effective and the most convenient for you, is to hire a local Indianapolis critter control company to get rid of rabbits that are bothering your property. They have the latest technologies and state resources to get the job done safely, humanely, and within a convenient time frame.
Are you looking for a safe and humane way of dealing with nuisance rabbits on your Indiana property? Contact Budget Animal Removal at 317-875-3099 for professional rabbit removal and control in Indianapolis, Indiana and its surrounding counties. We serve residential and commercial clients.
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