Smells Rabbits Hate (That You Probably Own!)


It’s pretty obvious to anyone passing by our site that we really love rabbits, however, there are plenty of places where wild rabbit populations are so great that they are considered pests. For example, in Australia, wild rabbit populations have a significant negative and costly impact on agriculture through overgrazing, endangering many threatened plant species and ecological communities.

Common ingredients that rabbits hate the smell of include garlic, white vinegar, chili peppers, rotten eggs (sulfur), and certain strong perfumes. Due to their heightened sense of smell, predator urine such as fox or coyote is also an effective rabbit repellant.

Even rabbit lovers themselves may have good reasons for wanting to prevent wild rabbits from getting onto their property (e.g. growing your own vegetables) or even keeping pet bunnies away from certain areas of the house. One way that we can achieve this is by using the rabbit’s strong sense of smell against it.

Natural Repellents

If like us the thought of causing harm to a rabbit makes you feel uneasy, using certain natural aromas to keep them away from specific areas is an excellent tactic. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple ingredients you can find in most homes that will do this job without the need for expensive repellents. So firstly, what are these common smells that rabbits hate?

How good can a rabbit smell?

Using these scents to your advantage can help to deter wild rabbits or to keep your pet out of particular parts of your house or garden. To get you started, we have put together all the details you will need to know to gently yet effectively repel rabbits.

Why Do Rabbits Hate Certain Smells

As prey animals, rabbits have a powerful sense of smell they rely on to keep them alive. Naturally, this means that smells that may seem mild to us can be quite overbearing to a rabbit.

They have the ability to recognize the smells of many of their enemies and will stay away from areas where these odors are strong given that the predator that left them may be close by.

The urine of predators such as Coyotes and Foxes is particularly effective at getting rid of unwanted rabbits, an example of which can be found here (link to Amazon.com).

Aside from the scent left behind by their natural predators, there are also other smells that rabbits dislike, many of which are common ingredients that many of us have around the home.

Best Cheap Rabbit Repellants

As we have mentioned, using natural ingredients such as rabbit repellent is one of the best ways to avoid causing any harm to these delicate animals.

There are plenty of natural foods and ingredients that are strong-smelling and super-effective rabbit repellants which will do nothing more than upset the rabbits’ senses. These ingredients are useful to know especially for us rabbit lovers who choose to deter rather than kill.

We’re going to cover some of the most effective repellants here

Chili Powder

Chili Powder is commonly used as a repellent due to its active ingredient, Capsaicin. Capsaicin is the compound that gives chilis their hot flavor and acts as an irritant to both animals and also humans in the form of pepper sprays.

Chili powder can be purchased wholesale and can be sprinkled around garden plants and vegetable beds a couple of times a week to ensure it is at its most effective. Similarly, tabasco sauce also contains capsaicin and will also have the desired effect.

Garlic Powder

Not just for vampires, garlic also has a strong smell that rabbits find unpleasant. Garlic powder can be sprinkled, or fresh cloves can be crushed and scattered around areas where rabbits are being a pest.

Rotten Egg/Sulfur

Eggs are very high in two proteins, globulin and keratin. When globulin starts to decay, it releases hydrogen sulfide which has a strong sulfur smell.

Similarly, when keratin breaks down an amino acid known as cysteine is produced which is also packed full of sulfur atoms. These two proteins give that familiar rotten egg odor that some animals including rabbits find so repellant.

It takes a long while for eggs to putrify and although rabbits will pick up on the pong a lot sooner than we will, tossing rotten eggs around the lawn may have the neighbors talking.

Infinitely more convenient are sulfur powders, an example of which can be found here (link to Amazon.com).

Vinegar

Vinegar is an excellent repellent that rabbits hate the smell of. We have found it to be very effective at keeping our own house rabbits out of my baby daughter’s bedroom (soaking a little into cotton wool balls and leaving a few around).

Vinegar works well in the home as it is such a bitter scent that, owing to a rabbit’s heightened sense of smell, can be very overwhelming for these small creatures but not so for us.

Outside in the garden/yard, you may wish to combine it with chili powder or garlic. This can then be used along the borders.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is another common ingredient that has been used successfully to keep rabbits away from certain areas. We haven’t tried it ourselves but we have heard of numerous reports of rabbit owners using it to stop rabbits chewing where it’s not wanted such as table or chair legs.

Simply spray a little on the areas you want to protect.

Coffee

To humans, coffee is known to be one of the nicest scents in the world. In fact, there has been some suggestion that coffee is such a welcoming and enticing aroma that it might swing potential home buyers into investing in a property, should they catch a whiff as they walk in.

Rabbits, on the other hand, are not coffee fans and they certainly won’t be setting up home in your garden at its scent. On the contrary, rabbits find coffee to be an overpowering smell that quickly makes them turn and run in the opposite direction.

But more than that, coffee is something of an all-around animal repellent since it is also known to be able to keep certain insects and gastropods, like slugs and snails away from your precious veggie patch.

If you live in a rural location, you may have also experienced problems with other mammals such as deer and coffee will work just as well for these larger creatures.

So, when you have finished with your coffee grounds, don’t throw them on the compost heap; try sprinkling them around your garden for protection instead.

Wrap Up

We will always advocate the use of natural products to deter rabbits and any other type of wildlife. Even if you are having significant problems with wild rabbits, as rabbit lovers the last thing that we want you to do would be to injure or poison a defenseless bunny.

That being said, we understand that rabbits can cause significant damage to property and crops.

There are numerous rabbit-repellent products on the market and in our opinion (which is perhaps a little biased) it is far better to use something that will gently turn them away. Many of these products contain natural ingredients and are perfectly safe to use, which is especially important if children also use the area.

Alternatively, you may like to try some of the ideas we’ve talked about here.

Further Reading

Homemade Rabbit Repellents That are Stunningly Effective gardenerdy.com

How to Keep Rabbits Away From Your Yard varmentguard.com

How to Identify and Get Rid of Rabbits almanac.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Can certain scents harm rabbits?

Some scents can be harmful to rabbits, causing respiratory problems, stress, or even death. It’s important to avoid exposing your pet to strong chemical odors, smoke, or fumes.

Can rabbits be allergic to certain smells?

Rabbits can be allergic to some scents or substances, causing skin irritation, sneezing, or other allergic reactions. It’s important to keep an eye on your rabbit’s behavior and health when introducing new smells or cleaning products.

How can I keep my rabbit’s environment odor-free?

To keep your rabbit’s living area clean and odor-free, it’s important to clean their litter box frequently, use unscented bedding, and avoid using harsh chemicals or perfumes in the area.

Can certain smells attract rabbits?

Rabbits are attracted to some scents, such as fresh hay or herbs like basil and mint. However, it’s important to introduce new smells gradually and monitor your rabbit’s behavior to ensure they’re not overwhelmed or stressed.

Darren

Darren is the founder and editor at Bunny Advice and has been caring for rabbits for over a decade. He has a passion for helping animals and sharing his experience and knowledge with others.

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