Rabbits Are Cute, But There's Nothing Cute About The Damage They Can Do

We get it, rabbits are adorable fuzzy little creatures that seem harmless. Are they going to attack humans, your pets, or livestock? Probably never (unless you try and pick up a wild alive one, then good luck not getting your fingers bit). However, they can cause damage to your yard, your garden, and even your vehicles (or anything with exposed electrical wires).

Key Points

1. Rabbits do damage by creating holes in your yard to nest, eating your plants and trees, and even chewing through electrical wires.

2. Rabbits breed at a rapid rate and a rabbit problem can get out of hand fast.

3. To prevent rabbit damage, instal fencing and flashing around your trees and gardens.

4. Remove piles of brush and wood and any other large shrub rabbits can nest under.

5. Cover your wires with a protective tubing or move the wiring to spaces not easily accessible by rabbits (or any other nuisance animal).

6. Before killing a rabbit, make sure to check your state and local laws regarding legally taking a rabbit in your area.

Signs there is a rabbit on your property

1. Nesting

Rabbits tend to den underground, so the first thing you'll notice is holes all around your yard. These can be deep, but tend to be relatively shallow. Often times they will look like patches of dead grass in your yard and can contain bunnies (so be careful when you're cutting the lawn or walking your property). Rabbits will also dig under trees, bushes, brush piles, and even your deck or shed to find a good spot to make a den. They try and stay on the edge of property lines, but rabbits also make a nest right in the middle of your yard.

2. Chewing up your plants and trees

Rabbits are herbivores (meaning they mainly eat plants), so they will chew on your garden, shrubs, and even the base of certain trees. If you notice plants in your garden that are close to the ground are being eaten, chances are it is a rabbit (groundhogs will also eat things closer to the ground, but they create much larger holes in your yard and leave much different tracks than rabbits. Squirrels will also eat things lower to the ground, but they also leave different tracks and like to eat things that grow high up). If you're only seeing things low to the ground being chewed/eaten, notice rabbit tracks, and no large deep holes all over your yard - signaling a groundhog - chances are, you have a rabbit problem.

3. Chewing through electrical wires

Lastly, rabbits will chew your electrical wires. Many times younger rabbits are the culprits, as they have not learned what they can and cannot chew. Because rabbits breed so often, this can become a major problem for people that have many items on their property with electrical wires that can be accessed by animals. Some examples of these are cars that are low to the ground (rabbits can and will nest in your car's cavity and chew through wires - squirrels, raccoon, opossum, rats and mice do this, too); electric fences; wires ran between your house and garage/barn; generators; security cameras; and motion lights.

Controlling rabbits and preventing further damage

Rabbits breed between 5-7 times a year with each litter having 5-12 bunnies. On average, they will have 5 litters a year with an average of 5 bunnies per litter. This mean that one female rabbit has an average of 25 bunnies that could be creating problems on your property.

Placing fencing or flashing around your trees and garden will often stop them from doing further damage. You want to make sure to install fencing at least 3 feet high and 1 foot underground, otherwise they will dig through to get to the food source (and 3 feet underground if you're dealing with a groundhog). Removing large shrubs, brush and wood piles, and blocking off any spot a rabbit could potentially get to will assist in eliminating them from damaging your land.

When it comes to electrical wiring, this is trickier fix. We recommend wrapping any exposed wire in wire tubing, installing cord covers, or even reinstalling the wiring out of reach of a rabbit. If you choose the latter option, your wires could still be chewed through by squirrels, raccoons, opossum, rats, and mice. We suggest considering covering the wires in some way to prevent any damage from any animal.

If you live in an area where you may discharge a firearm or BB gun, in some states rabbits are on the nuisance animal list and may be taken, or killed, without a hunting permit and outside of hunting season. It is important to check with your state and local laws before taking this measure to keep you out of any legal trouble.

We highly recommend contacting a nuisance animal control company in your local area, as they will be able to inspect the land and determine if in fact you have a rabbit problem and the best means to remove them.