Tips On Creating A Rabbit Proof Fence
No doubt, rabbits are cute and all with their fluffy body and sparkly eyes but it is not like anyone wants them to run around the back yard, chewing plants or stomping the seed soil. Anyone who faced this problem at least once asked to themselves, “how to keep rabbits out of your garden“? One possible solution is called rabbit proof fence.
Does Fencing Actually Help Against Rabbits?
Putting up a fence of hard material is not going to keep these invaders out because it is not like they need to cut the whole thing. Rabbits are adept at digging holes, for being such an expert at burrowing, wild rabbits need to dig just enough under the fence to fit their head and squeeze in. So regular fence material is inappropriate if you are trying to keep them out. Special purpose fence needs special materials.
Building the Fence
Before we build a fence to keep the wild rabbits out, we must keep four points in our mind. These are:
- Material
- Depth
- Holes and
- Height
So basically, choose the right material, position the fence deep enough into the ground, make sure there are no holes large enough for the rabbits to get in and high enough so they cannot jump over.
First, select the right material that is resistant to chewing. Avoid using plastic, cloth or wood or wooden material. Chicken wire is pretty effective against rabbit teeth.
Second, figure out how deep you need to dig. Let us see how the fence should be positioned and planted for 2″ wide stakes. For 2″ wide stakes dig a trench 6″ deep and 8″ wide to form the fence perimeter. Then pound in the stakes on the inner side of the trench. Next, bend the chicken wire (the bottom 6″) outward so that it spreads on the bottom of the trench. The whole thing will look like the letter L. Make sure to put the fence end into the trench and point the flange at the opposite direction of the garden.
The third important factor is holes. Rabbits are capable to squeezing in their whole body where they can fit their head. To prevent this, build the fence with the stakes placed as close as possible. This is why 2″ stakes are mostly recommended.
Finally, the height. Rabbits are capable of jumping quite high into the air. Selecting a 36″ wide chicken wire helps you to put up a 36″ high fence. This will keep the majorityof wild rabbits out of the garden.
Electric Rabbit Proof Fence
The regular rabbit proof fence is hard to put for all the digging. Advanced electric fencing can be used to avoid this problem. Again, you have to pound in the stakes but this time with attached insulators with two suspending wires. One of them runs along the outside of the fence, 2 inches from the ground. The other one runs along the inside, 4 inches from the ground. The whole system is powered with electric fencing charger.
An Alternative to Fences
Chicken wire rabbit proof fence is a bit eyesore and many do not prefer them because they ruin the natural view. They could choose various rabbit repellent available in the market as alternatives.