If you need a way to deter rabbits from eating your flowers, try this organic rabbit repellent recipe. It uses garlic and red peppers to repel the rabbits naturally without damaging your plants.
If you have had any contact with me in the last three years, you know that I struggle with rabbits. I have annuals hanging in baskets far out of reach of the rabbits and my vegetables growing safely behind chicken wire, but I really wanted to see some bulbs come up out of the ground unobstructed. When I found bulbs on sale for $1.00 a bag at Walmart last fall I decided to give them a try. As you can see from the picture below, it didn’t start out so well! Then I discovered how to make a natural rabbit repellent at home using common household ingredients.
How to Make Rabbit Repellent
You just need a couple of items to make this DIY rabbit repellent: garlic, peppers, and dish soap and an empty milk jug. Use this organic rabbit repellent recipe to deter rabbits from eating your flowers. Reapply after a rain.
DIY Rabbit Repellent Recipe
Items needed:
- empty milk jug
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers
- 1-gallon water
- 1 tablespoon dish soap
Directions:
- To make the repellent fill an old milk jug with water, add 5 crushed garlic cloves, a teaspoon of crushed red peppers (you can save a packet from the pizza delivery for this) and 1 tablespoon of dish soap.
- Shake well; then let it sit in the sun for a day or two to make sure the water is saturated with the flavors and smells.
- Shake well, then spray or pour on the plants that you don’t want the rabbits to eat.
I had to reapply the rabbit repellent once a week for a couple of weeks to convince the rabbits that my tulips were never going to taste good again. With my other bulbs, I sprayed them with the natural rabbit repellent as soon as they started to poke through the ground and then reapplied the repellent once a week and after it rains.
Flowers before I started applying my homemade rabbit repellent:
Flowers that were treated with the homemade rabbit repellent:
The tulips that have been treated with the homemade rabbit repellent survived unscathed!
More Frugal Gardening Tips:
How to Make Raised Garden Beds
How to Extend a Short Growing Season
How to Make a Planter Out of a Tree Stump
How to Make a Mini-Greenhouse with Recycled Items
How to Make Fast and Easy Compost Pile Using Hay Bales
How to Extend Your Growing Season with a Container Garden
How to Get More from Your Square Foot Garden with Succession Planting
Eli says
Thank you! I’ve made deer repellent from Dawn dish soap and water. I put a little cayenne pepper in too. They stopped eating my hostas! My husband drilled holels in the milk jug top, so it’s a nice little watering jug.
Lois says
Are you supposed to strain solids after sitting in the sun a few days?
ThanksI hope this works!!
David says
Does this spray deter other animals?
Karin says
Can I use this on my green beans?
Willette says
Can this be used on my lawn?
Alea Milham says
Yes, it can. However, it will need to be reapplied after watering or rain.
DIANE E says
Can you put this on vegetables
Jill says
Can you spray this on vegetable plants? Rabbits are eating my green bean plants also my lilies.
Debra Alexander says
Will this hurt my vegetable plants.
Karin says
Can I use this on my vegetables in the garden
Terri Bechard says
I am trying the water, minced garlic, red pepper flakes and dish liquid to deter rabbits. I sprayed all of the leaves and tried not to spray the new buds. I hope it works. I am just afraid the mixture might ruin the plants. Has anyone tried this and ruined their plants? I hope I didn’t spray too much on them.