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How to Get Rid of Rabbit Poop in Yard? (Quick Answers)

Although rabbits may carry parasites such as roundworms and tapeworms, their waste is not known to transmit any sort of diseases to humans. However, a rabbit will excrete an average of 100 pellets a day which can make a yard filthy and smell unpleasant.

Rabbit poop can be distinguished by small, round pellets that are usually black or light brown in color. They usually leave their droppings in clusters around the yard which can cause damage to flowerbeds over time.

Fortunately, there are numerous methods of cleaning up rabbit poop from yards and deterring these pests from soiling these areas in the future.

How to get rid of rabbit poop in the yard?

Aside from merely dumping the rabbit dung in the trash, composting the poop and using it as a fertilizer is a great way of disposing of it. Not only does the compost give your plants additional growing power, but it also sends less waste to landfills and is thus better for the environment.

You can not only get rid of rabbit poop but also can turn them into compost that could be helpful for trees in your yard. A pretty simple procedure to doing so is given below –

Add ingredients:

To create the rabbit manure compost, add the pellets to a compost bin with no bottom to allow earthworms to wiggle up. To the pile, add equal amounts of wood shavings and straw. 

Any vegetable peelings or kitchen scraps, along with grass clipping and fallen leaves can also be added.

Mix and moisten:

After mixing the contents of the bin with a pitchfork, moisten with water but make sure not to saturate it completely. Lastly, cover with a dark tarp and leave the bin in your yard or garden for a few weeks until the compost is ready.

Apply on trees:

The rabbit manure compost can then be added to your garden plants and even crops for some extra nutrition.

Is rabbit poop bad for lawns?

Rabbit manure is considered a great fertilizer for flowerbeds and other plants in the backyard due to its high content of phosphorus and nitrogen. In fact, rabbit poop consists of four times the nutrition of horse and cow poop.

Another advantage of using rabbit poop instead of cow or horse manure is that it does not need to be matured before use. 

While cow and horse poop contains high amounts of uric acid and ammonia that may harm plants when used as a fertilizer, rabbit pellets do not contain as much uric acid and ammonia.

This makes rabbit poop a more preferable fertilizer compared to other conventional fertilizers, as it won’t burn the plants when used untreated.

In addition to adding important nutrients, rabbit droppings mixed in with the gardening soil will also improve soil drainage, increase moisture retention, and improve the soil structure.

How do I stop rabbits from pooping in my yard?

Although there is not a single full-proof way of preventing rabbits from pooping in your yard, some methods are more effective than others at deterring these pests. 

It is also important to know that you may experience varying results depending on whether you live in the city or country.

Eliminate hiding places:

As rabbits are prey for a lot of predators, they are naturally compelled to seek shelter in hiding places such as bushes, low-hanging branches, and small spaces beneath buildings.

They will typically avoid wide-open spaces as places that allow hiding and burrowing are more ideal for these pests. Therefore, eliminating these shelters and hiding spots will stop rabbits from hiding and pooping around your property.

For gardens and yards, make sure to trim any bushes and low-hanging branches. To keep them out of your deck, seal the area off with chicken wire along with any other spaces beneath buildings.

Use Rabbit repellants:

Some commonly used rabbit repellants include sprinkling around some dog or human hair around the yard. Rabbits are also deterred by strong-smelling elements such as pepper and essential oils including peppermint oil.

Some other affordable repellants include cat litter and raw eggs. Rags soaked in diluted ammonia and places around the garden also act as an effective repellant and prevent the rabbits from visiting and pooping in these areas.

Make sure any store-bought repellants are made of naphthalene or potassium salts as these ingredients are highly effective as deterrents. However, while using any rabbit repellants, it is important to reapply them frequently to retain the effect.

Incorporate smelly plants:

As rabbits have a very powerful sense of smell, pungent-smelling deterrents can be great at repelling these pests from visiting your yard and pooping around it. Although this is not a full-proof method, it is often used combined with other repellants.

Planting garlic and onions among your lettuce, cabbages, and carrots. Rabbits and bunnies dislike the strong pungent scent of these vegetables and will stay away from areas exuding these smells.

Some other plants rabbits tend to oppose coming near include daffodils, mint, parsley, oregano, basil, and rhubarb. These are excellent at deterring these pests and is a great addition to your garden plants.

Will coffee grounds keep rabbits away?

The science journal published research in September of 2014 that concluded that caffeine in coffee plants has evolved as a natural pest repellant. 

Along with repelling insects such as snails, slugs, and ants, the smell of coffee is also used to deter mammals including cats, deer, and rabbits.

Not only is coffee an environmentally safe and friendly way of keeping unwanted pests such as rabbits away from your yard or precious flowerbeds, the affordable and easily attainable product also acts as a great fertilizer for your garden.

Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium which are nutrients that plants require for growth. Simply sprinkle the grounds around the yard in places that the rabbits frequent the most and replenish them every couple of days to maintain effectiveness.

Rabbits, along with other common garden pests such as squirrels, dislike the strong scent of coffee which they find unpleasant due to their powerful sense of smell. As a consequence, they will tend to stay away from places exuding this scent.

What is a natural rabbit repellent?

Apart from popular store-bought rabbit repellants, organic and natural products such as some herbs and oils are also preferred by gardeners. This is not only because they are easily found around the house, but also because they are biodegradable and pet friendly.

Some common natural pest repellants include garlic, mint, and raw eggs. They can be used separately or combined into a mixture to increase effectiveness. Rabbits dislike the taste and smell of the mixture and will begin avoiding the part of the yard carrying its scent.

Another method of keeping rabbits away from a certain area is by placing some corn cobs soaked in vinegar around the border of the garden. Both are natural products that are affordable and environmentally friendly compared to other harsher store-bought products.

How to dispose of rabbit poop?

As rabbit droppings make great fertilizer for plants, many people prefer to compost the waste as a means of disposing of it. This not only serves the purpose of getting rid of the large amounts of droppings but also implies less waste going to landfills. 

Here are the steps you need to follow in order to recycle your rabbit’s droppings and create compost for your garden:

Place a bin without bottoms:

To create the rabbit manure compost, first, place a bin big enough to create enough compost and allow maturing to occur. The standard size of 2′ square is common and can be tucked away behind a tree in your yard to hide if needed.

Most compost bins are made without bottoms so that worms from under the soil can wriggle up, and any excess water can drain out. They can be bought quite cheaply or simply made by nailing together 4 wooden pallets.

Add rabbit manure:

Next, add your rabbit manure into the bin along with equal amounts of wood or straw shavings. Other compostable waste such as grass clippings, cardboard, vegetable scraps, and leaves can also be added.

Although the entire contents of your rabbit’s litter box can be composted, it is important to note that wood shavings take a significantly much longer time to break down than paper-based litter. Therefore, you may want to consider switching your rabbit’s litter to a paper-based one.

HDH Quality Rabbit Manure 2-1-1, 10 lb Bag of Dry Pellets

Mix and moisten:

Lastly, mix the contents thoroughly and moisten with a hose. Cover with a tarp and mix it again every 2 weeks, watering and mixing it repeatedly to maintain proper heat and humidity levels.

For the compost to fully mature, it may take up to a couple of months after which you may mix it in with your garden soil to give the plants a boost of nutrients.

Final thoughts:

In conclusion, composting your rabbit’s manure is one of the most common methods of disposing of it other than simply throwing it in the trash. Recycling the poop to create compost is a great way of reducing waste ending up in landfills and giving a boost of nutrients to your flowerbeds.