The Hair-Raising Secret to Hare Defense
Year one of our farm garden brought a decent harvest and a whole lot of pesky rabbits. We had the cute little cotton-tail bunnies and the enormous Texas jack rabbits. And you know, rabbits have prolific, herbivorous, hungry families!
They could wreak havoc on a vegetable garden.
I gave Jeff the nickname Mr. McGregor because he was becoming the grumpy old, rabbit-hating gardener. Though the rabbits never got close enough for him to literally chase them off with a hoe, he certainly had all the mumblings and grumblings of old Mr. McG.
Because we never put chemicals on our plants, we started looking into harmless ways to keep the little monsters away from the crop.
Problem was – they did not seem to be afraid of anything. Pinwheels spinning, casting reflective lights and making the whirring sound in the breeze? Not scared. Plastic bags strategically placed to capture wind and make rustling noises? Nope. Not afraid. Daunting scarecrows? New friends! It started to look like we would have to stand guard 24/7 just to keep them away.
Meanwhile, inside the house, I was in my own constant battle with dog hair. So. Much. Dog. Hair! Labradors shed, and they shed a lot! Their big, big bodies drop a ton of hair in all seasons. It literally looked like we had laid some ridiculous, trendy flooring of wood speckled with fibers. A carpet of dog hair. Which just so happens to be another [literal] “pet peeve” of Mr. McG.
Then I read that dog hair would deter rodents.
Why not give it a try?
We started emptying our vacuum bags around the perimeter of the garden.
And guess what?
It worked!
We now live in harmony with the rabbits, who have decided to feast on the acres of weeds and wildflowers while avoiding our garden and its fur at all costs.
At long last, our precious garden plants were safe from the elodontous chompers of the long-eared beasts.
Our crew – Eureka, Bissell, and Rumba – are full-time employees who have found new purpose in their work. (Yes – It takes an army to sweep behind the labrador!)
And Mr. McGregor has transformed back into our friendly, lovable Pops.
Share your natural remedies in the comments below!
4 responses to “How the Dog Saved the Garden”
Great tip! I hate when those pesky rabbits get into my garden!
They look so sweet and cute, but they are monsters!
Never would have thought of that! What a great idea!!
Right?!? Who knew that massive amounts of dog hair would be of benefit?!?