Cottontail rabbits are cute but destructive to gardens and landscapes

Madison - The cute, fuzzy cottontail rabbit, a.k.a. the Easter Bunny, does not always bring scrumptious treats and happiness to Wisconsinites during the spring season. In fact, these famous rabbits can be more of a pest than a bringer of joy. The damage rabbits can cause to vegetable gardens and other plantings can turn the adorable little creature into a dreaded enemy.

Cottontail rabbits can severely damage landscapes in the country, suburbs or city. Rabbits are particularly fond of garden vegetables such as lettuce, beans and peas. In winter, hungry rabbits can damage woody trees by gnawing through the bark or clipping trees.

The cottontail rabbit, with its bushy while tail, is the most common rabbit in southern Wisconsin. Snowshoe rabbits, which are much larger than cottontails and are easily identified by their large feet, and jackrabbits also live in the state, although their populations are much smaller.

Cottontail rabbits have a relatively short life expectancy – 12 to 15 months on average. However, during that short life, a female rabbit will have four to six litters with each litter consisting of six bunnies. The first litter is usually born in late March, and the turnaround time for breeding is extremely quick. The only forces that keep cottontail rabbits from realizing their population potential are predators, weather and encounters with automobiles.

There are three ways to effectively control the rabbit damage to gardens and landscapes: habitat modification and manipulation, exclusion and trapping.

Habitat modification and manipulation is the most effective technique for long-term and non-lethal control. Removing dense vegetation, brush piles, weed patches and junk dumps in or near your landscape will make your property less attractive to rabbits.

To protect individual plants and shrubs, excluding rabbits with fencing works best. Chicken wire fencing 18 to 20 inches high, positioned one inch or less from the trunk of a tree, and buried two to three inches in the ground, will effectively protect the plant from rabbit and vole damage. Chicken wire is very inexpensive and can be re-used year after year.

Trapping and removing cottontail rabbits works best in the winter. This technique takes more time and is more expensive. Commercial traps are available at most garden and hardware stores, and tend to cost between $15 and $50. Also, if you wish to make your own rabbit trap, contact your local county Cooperative Extension office to obtain a copy of supply and trap plans.

For more information on cottontail rabbits and damage control, please contact your local Extension office.

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by Brett Holmgren