Rabbits are ver-r-y tricky. They freeze and pretend that you're not talking to them, and that you'll go away in a minute so they can move - and eat - again. They visit your garden when you're busy with supper, and before breakfast when you're not looking. My biggest rabbit problem is in the vegetable garden when they eat the new bean sprouts before they even have their first true leaves and can't recover.

I've had some luck, though only partial luck, with these rabbit deterrents ~

CATS control the population. Although they aren't big enough to 'remove' the parents from the scene, the number of young bunnies is kept very low.

BIRD BARRIER is a plastic netting that's used to keep birds out of strawberries, but it can be cut into strips and placed along the edge of a garden bed. It needs to be at least a foot wide. Leave it loosely arranged on top of the soil. The rabbits don't like stepping on it 'cause they get tangled up (They've read Peter Rabbit, too.)

BLOOD MEAL lightly sprinkled as a perimeter 'offends' them, but it also adds nitrogen to your soil, so you have to use just a little. Usually one application is enough unless it rains before the plants have time to grow large enough to take a bunny bite in stride and keep on growing.

LIVE TRAPPING is very effective for removing animals who misbehave. Our local DNR office has traps that they'll loan out, and they'll tell you what bait to use and where to take the animal once you have captured it. We've never trapped rabbits, but have had much success controlling squirrels and possums.