The Eastern Cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) is the most common species encountered in North American residential landscapes. These animals thrive in environments near human habitation because residential areas often provide an ideal mix of accessible forage and protective cover. Their consistent feeding habits and rapid population growth mean that they are one of the most frequent causes of wildlife damage to ornamental plants and vegetable patches.
Specific Types of Damage to Landscaping and Structures
Rabbits cause damage through two feeding behaviors: grazing and gnawing on woody material. During the spring and summer months, they graze heavily on low-growing plants, particularly young vegetable seedlings, clover, and annual flowers. This damage is often identifiable by a clean, 45-degree angled cut on the stem. Unlike deer, which tear vegetation and leave ragged edges due to lacking upper incisors, rabbits clip plants with precision.
Damage often occurs during the winter when snow cover limits access to herbaceous plants. Rabbits shift their diet to the bark of young trees and shrubs, a behavior known as girdling. They feed on the inner, nutrient-rich layer of wood just beneath the bark. If they chew completely around the circumference of a trunk or stem, they effectively interrupt the flow of water and nutrients. This girdling action on young trees is frequently fatal, as the section above the damage dies off, and the rabbit can reach higher damage points by standing on crusted snow.
Rabbits also create disturbances in lawns and garden beds associated with nesting and shelter. Although they do not typically dig extensive burrows like groundhogs, they create shallow surface depressions called “forms” for concealment in dense cover. Females also dig shallow nests in the ground, often lined with fur and covered with grass, to raise their young. These activities can result in small, noticeable scrapes in turf and vegetable beds.
Understanding Rabbit Behavior and Attraction
Rabbits are attracted to residential areas because they offer a consistent food supply with ample hiding spots from predators. Their feeding activity is highest during crepuscular hours, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk, which often makes their damage noticeable before the animal itself is seen. They prefer to remain close to dense vegetation or structures that provide immediate cover for a quick escape.
A yard becomes appealing when it contains brush piles, low-hanging decks, dense shrubbery, or thick, tall grasses where rabbits can retreat. These areas serve as year-round shelter and a secure place to construct their nests.
Rabbits are known for their high reproductive rate, which contributes to increased damage potential in a small area. Female rabbits have a short gestation period of approximately 28 to 32 days and can produce up to five or six litters per year. The young leave the nest within two to three weeks and can reach sexual maturity in less than six months, allowing populations to grow quickly if mortality factors are low. This rapid turnover means that even a small initial population can quickly multiply, intensifying the foraging pressure on a garden.
Strategies for Humane Deterrence
The most effective and humane method for protecting desirable plants is exclusion, which involves creating a physical barrier. To protect vegetable gardens or flower beds, use a wire mesh fence. The fence should be a minimum of 24 to 36 inches high to prevent the rabbits from jumping over it.
Use 1-inch hexagonal poultry netting or hardware cloth, especially against juvenile rabbits. To prevent rabbits from digging underneath the barrier, the bottom edge must be secured by burying at least 6 inches of the fence wire into the soil. Alternatively, a foot apron of the mesh can be bent outward on the ground and secured with stakes or soil, which prevents digging at the base of the fence.
For protecting individual young trees and shrubs from winter girdling, a cylinder made of hardware cloth or wire should encircle the trunk. This cylinder needs to be at least 30 inches tall and extended far enough from the trunk to prevent the rabbit from reaching the bark through the mesh openings. Reducing attractive habitat is also important, such as removing dense brush piles, wood stacks, and sealing off openings beneath porches or sheds.
Repellents that use taste or odor can offer temporary protection, but their effectiveness is limited, as they must be reapplied frequently, particularly after rain or watering. Selecting plants that rabbits find less palatable is also helpful, although no plant is entirely immune when food is scarce.