I wouldn't use cayenne pepper because it's cruel.
Go to Lowe's and buy some $13 Repels-All and spray it on what you want to keep animals away from. I haven't had any damage since I have been using it. Use for squirrels and dogs/cats as well.
Sunny

Run a little 4 foot chickenwire around the beets with a few stakes, and mash it flat against the ground the bottom foot or so to prevent digging under?

The repels-all looks good because it's natural, but since this is an immediate problem and I can't get the spray soon enough, I may just add cayenne or something similar. It may not be the nicest way to repel animals, but I would rather have a healthy beet crop than a happy rabbit in my garden.

Interestingly, the leeks were bitten too. Not sure what did that damage; I thought rabbits don't like onions.

In my experience, if a rabbit is hungry, he'll sample everything. As he gets more hungry, he'll eat anything.

My veg garden is on the side of the house. In the front garden, I've got containers with tomato, pepper, and cukes. My first cucumber fruit is growing (about 2.5 inches long) and I just chased that rabbit out of the front garden. Would a poisoned carrot be enough to exterminate the rabbit? >:)

I seriously do need a means of getting rid of the rabbit. I'll do some research on trapping (live or killing), poisoning, or other ways to get rid of the rabbit.

The problem with getting rid of rabbits is that nature will simply make more.

Remove one and another takes it's place.

The only saving grace about rabbits is that they are territorial and tend to establish feeding routes. In other words you may get a gap between getting rid of one that includes your yard on it's menu and the next finding it. This really only applies in areas with fairly low rabbit populations.

Anyway, there is only one good way to get rid of rabbits and that is a fence. It allows the rabbits to become somebody else's problem as your plants are safe inside the fence.

You can combine a fence with a trap to thin their numbers over time. A Have a Heart trap can be placed *inside* the fence and then the fence cut such that the only entrance to the garden is through the fence and directly into the trap. Placing the trap inside the fence eliminates the need to find a bait for the trap that actually works.

I do not recommend the use of poisons if you live in an area where there are dogs/cats/pets or small children around. Too much risk.

barn cat or a beagle would work too,

although barn cat would leave nice little carcass offerings to you everywhere..

the beagle dog breed is used to hunt rabbits.

If you're rural enough a shotgun works. A .22 is good if you're a good enough marksman.

Dogs and cats can help too.

Chickenwire or hardware cloth is good if you set it so they can't dig.

Please, don't use live traps unless you *personally* own distant property where you can release pest animals into suitable habitat. Don't release them into inappropriate habitat to die suffering. And don't be irresponsible and inconsiderate by releasing them on someone else's land or on public land where they will eat another gardener/farmer's crop.

Fencing them out or killing them humanely with a well-placed shot is best.