Rabbits can wreak havoc on your yard. They dig up vegetables, nibble on your ornamentals, and dig burrows under your lawn ornaments. Constantly battling these small but determined creatures can almost make you crazy. Fortunately, you have options. The following guide can help you keep these mammals outside of your yard where they will cause no harm to your property.

Tip #1: Clean up the property

The perfect rabbit habitat provides food, water, and shelter. You may not be able to avoid providing the food, since your desired plants may be the rabbit's buffet. You can control water and shelter, though. Don't allow standing water on the lawn. If you have birdbaths or water bowls out, elevate them so they aren't easily reached by the pests. Put low, solid fences around water features or surround them with landscape stones to make them harder for the rabbit to reach. Many rabbits won't jump up on or over anything if they can't clearly see the other side. Furthermore, remove anything that may attract a nesting rabbit. This includes debris piles, long grasses, and old stumps. Cover up any openings a rabbit could slip through, such as beneath porches or into buildings.

Tip #2: Implement some scare tactics

Rabbits avoid stress as much as possible, so you may be able to scare them out of the yard. The simplest way to do that is to have a dog on the property to chase them off. Even the scent of a dog may be enough to scare away rabbits, so you could always just borrow your neighbor's dog and keep them in the yard for a short period of time each day. There are also ultrasonic scare devices you can plug in that may dissuade rabbits from entering your property.

Tip #3: Install a barrier fence

The most reliable method for getting rid of rabbits is a good fence. The fence must be at least 18 inches tall so the rabbit can't jump over it. Solid fences work best, but you can do a picket or chainlink fence as long as the openings are too small for a rabbit to squeeze through. Keep in mind that rabbits also burrow. To prevent this issue, choose a fence design that has a bottom panel that is buried at least 1 foot into the ground. A fencing contractor can help you design the best and most attractive rabbit-preventing fence.

As you can see, there is no need to let those rabbits drive you up the wall. Try one, or even all, of the above tips to solve your rabbit woes for good.