Normally, we find rabbits adorable and cute. They live upon only eating grass and plants. However, these timid animals are so naughty in nature that they play by tearing leaves and flowers from the tree.
They can become a great hazard to your fruity and flowery yard or garden, if they get the way.
Using cayenne pepper to keep rabbits away
Because of the potent chemical molecule ‘capsaicin’, cayenne pepper works as a natural rabbit repellent. It tastes like hot pepper to rabbits and they find the taste dangerous. Even the fragrant is disliked by rabbits. If it is well applied and used for a long time, rabbits will go away.
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Deer are not picky about selecting their food; rather whatever they find in front of them, they munch or take a taste of it. If precautionary measures are not taken as early as possible, they not only will damage your garden but also hamper the soil by digging hundreds of holes.
To protect your soil and garden, you’ve to make a barrier around the whole area by fencing 5-6 feet high or planting deer repellent trees around the border area. However, it’s pretty costly and also time consuming. But if you select a natural repellent, it’ll reduce the cost to a great extent.
From a very ancient time, cayenne pepper has been used to get rid of rabbits. It carries a kind of smoky, spicy and a little bit of sweet aroma that deer mostly avoid and the taste is even worse than that in their taste buds.
It has the taste of hot pepper because of the capsaicin which is highly responsible to make it a rabbit deterrent. Actually, rabbits have a great sense of smell as well as taste that are eventually as developed as humans or sometimes even more than them.
Actually, deer carry about 100 million scent cells in the body, which bear a great impact on food. They can smell from a long distance and can decide if the food is right for them or not.
Any acute fragrant irritates their nose or nostrils In fact, in their mouth and pharynx, they contain approximately 17000 taste buds which is even higher than humans if compared. Therefore, their tongue can distinguish between sweet and sour or spice.
Because of the spicy-smoky kind of smell in cayenne pepper, it irritates the rabbit’s prickly nose. Though normally before eating rabbits try to get the smell, if they taste it, they’ll find it bitter, hot and will get a burning sensation in the mouth.
Even some side effects like diarrhea, stomach cramping, breathing issues they can face, which initially will set as a danger in their mind; as a result, they will further avoid the place.
How effective is cayenne pepper to keep rabbits away?
As a natural repellent, cayenne pepper works really well. Rabbits have well developed olfactory receptors that help them to identify which food is right for them. Their nerves send a signal if they find something unpleasant to avoid that.
In fact, they have the ability to differentiate sweet, sour, spicy or salty tastes. They mostly dislike spicy food that produces a burning sensation to their mouth.
Actually, cayenne pepper contains the natural chemical element ‘capsaicin’ which produces the spicy-smoky kind of aroma that rabbits don’t like. Even if they consume it, their taste buds will highly dislike it.
With the hot pepper taste, it works as a repulsive. In fact, they may even face some kind of minor side effects like stomach aching, gastrological issues, dry throat, burning mouth etc.
This effective repellent can be used as a diffuser, by spraying it into the plants and leaves which will keep rabbits away from the house area.
What is a natural repellent for rabbits?
There are so many options we can get from nature to repel deer. They are cost free and can have a long term effect.
Essential oils:
Essential oils that carry an acute sense of smell like peppermint, eucalyptus, spearmint, lavender, cedar, lemon oil are mostly effective to work as a rabbit repellent.
As rabbits have a very keen sense of smell, they feel uncomfortable and irritated when they get such an acute smell. The sensation sends a signal of danger to their nerves and they depart the place.
Essential oils can be applied as a diffuser or just by crushing and putting them near the house area.
Spices:
Normally, spices like pepper, catmint, chives, oregano, safe, rosemary carry the capsaicin and mint which produce a spicy aroma to their prickly nose.
In fact, spices work as a taste repellent as rabbits usually have a burning sensation in their mouth and they may face stomach disturbance.
Garlic:
Both the plant and garlic work as a rabbit repellent as they produce a very intense smell which rabbits can feel from a distance. The smell is so overpowering that it produces a bitter taste into their mouth and signals not to enter the area.
How do you use cayenne pepper to keep rabbits away?
There are various techniques to deter rabbits with cayenne pepper. When rabbits smell or approach cayenne pepper, their noses become irritated because it contains capsaicin, a potent chemical molecule.
When they approach or are in close proximity to places that have been sprayed with cayenne pepper, or any mixture containing the spice, they tend to move away.
This ingredient can be strengthened to repel rabbits by adding vinegar, cloves, other natural essences of rosemary, clove oil, garlic, or eggs with a suitable amount of water.
The effectiveness of cayenne pepper is increased when other potent-smelling ingredients are added because it is proven to deter rabbits. Cayenne powder can be mixed with a solution and applied liberally for several hours of effectiveness.
Cayenne pepper with eggs:
To create a semi-concentrated solution, first properly crush the cayenne pepper. Then, take two or three tablespoons of this powdered cayenne and combine it with one or two eggs.
After preparing the combination, wait six to seven hours for all of the ingredients to release their potent aroma. The areas where rabbits frequently graze can then be treated.
By using an additional potent fragrance:
This mixture is also quite efficient at keeping rabbits away. Any essential oils with strong scents, like clove oil or rosemary oil, are required for this, along with enough water. After thoroughly combining all the ingredients, add the mixture to a clean spray bottle.
It will take a few hours to thoroughly combine all the components. Now that it is prepared, you can spray it around your house or garden. This is a non-harmful method for organically discouraging rabbits.
Vinegar and crushed cayenne pepper:
For this recipe, the cayenne pepper is finely ground into a powder, then mixed with three to four spoons of vinegar, water, and other ingredients until the appropriate consistency is reached.
It is then administered as a spray to the areas that need to be protected from rabbits after properly shaking the mixture and letting it sit for a few hours. You might have to reapply at the locations in six to seven hours if necessary.
How to make cayenne pepper spray?
The natural method of making cayenne pepper spray is incredibly simple and effective at keeping rabbits away. Various items that are typically found in homes can be used to make this pepper spray.
A clean spray bottle, cayenne pepper that has been crushed or powdered, garlic that has been powdered, vinegar or an egg, and purified water are required ingredients.
The next step is to measure out the necessary ingredients, add them all, and mix everything together to create a cayenne pepper spray solution. The steps for creating a cayenne pepper spray solution are briefly discussing:
Measure the ingredients:
To begin, measure out three or four tablespoons of liquid soap or dishwashing detergent, four spoons of cayenne pepper, three spoons of garlic powder, and one-third cup of water in a measuring cup.
If there isn’t any garlic powder, one egg must be substituted. If eggs are also unavailable, an alternative must be made using three or four spoons of vinegar.
Arrange and mix:
Arrange and mix each ingredient in the correct order. There are three ways to make cayenne pepper spray: first, add the previously specified garlic powder, followed by one-third water and cayenne pepper powder, and mix vigorously for several seconds.
Another option is to combine water, cayenne pepper, and an egg. Another recipe calls for dishwashing liquid, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and water. You must follow these instructions; do not omit any of the listed stages.
Final Thoughts
Rabbits have an intense sense of taste and smell that are even more developed than humans. The receptors of smell and taste send a signal while choosing food. As cayenne pepper has a spicy-smoky scent and a mouth burning taste, rabbits find it alarming and try to depart the place.