Homemade Critter Repellant: Keep Rabbits from Eating Your Plants

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Ah, rabbits. Don't let that cute little face fool you. If you've ever had a garden, you know what damage they can cause! Even though we fenced in our vegetable garden, we were still seeing evidence of critter nibbles, most likely from rabbits.

That's when Hubby broke out the ingredients to make what he calls "stink solution." I'll give you one guess as to why. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and if you can get past the smell, this stuff really works!

Homemade Critter Repellant (AKA "Stink Solution")

 

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup of milk (spoiled milk is fine)
• 1 egg, beaten (optional)
• pinch cayenne
• pinch black pepper
• water

Instructions:

1. To a gallon jug add the milk, egg (if using), and a few shakes each of cayenne and black pepper. Fill the rest if the way with water. 
2. Let the jug sit in the sun a few days.
3. Shake thoroughly, and pour into a cheap spray bottle, as it may need to be replaced periodically if the spray mechanism gets clogged. Prepare yourself because it will STINK!  
4. Spray the plants in the morning or evening (it will burn the leaves if applied in direct sunlight).
   
5. Reapply the "Critter Repellant" about once a week or after a heavy rain. 

Once the plants are mature (rabbits prefer new, tender leaves), you should be able to stop spraying. If you choose to continue spraying your plants through harvest, you should wash your produce before eating it and omit the egg when preparing the repellant. 

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 *Added 6/14/14: A reader asked if this repellant is effective with deer. Yes it is! The deer don't bother our garden here, but we used it successfully at our old house, where the deer loved our hostas!

Have you battled the fuzzy little garden destroyers before? What have you used to discourage them from eating your garden?

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