Rabbit proofing advice in Exeter
Professional rabbit proofing advice services in Exeter and surrounding areas. Local, reliable handyman - no job too small.
Price Guide
£60
Typical Duration
30 mins
Location
Exeter, Devon
Honest rabbit-proofing advice - what works, what doesn't, and what it'll cost. No magic solutions, just practical options for your situation.
Rabbits Are a Pain (But Not Invincible)
You've got rabbits munching through your garden. You want them gone. The internet is full of miracle solutions - ultrasonic devices, special sprays, lion dung, planting marigolds, and other nonsense.
Here's the truth: rabbits are stopped by physical barriers or by not planting things they like. That's basically it.
I'll assess your actual problem, explain what realistically works, and help you decide whether to fence, protect individual plants, or just plant stuff rabbits don't fancy.
💡 Pro tip: One person's "rabbit-proof garden" is £2000 of buried wire fencing. Another's is "I planted lavender instead of lettuces". Both are valid - depends what you're trying to protect and how much you want to spend.
The Reality Check
| What Actually Works | What's a Waste of Money |
|---|---|
| Proper buried wire fencing | Ultrasonic rabbit scarers |
| Individual plant cages | Deterrent sprays (rain washes them off) |
| Planting what rabbits don't like | Human hair / lion poo / predator urine |
| Accepting some damage | Motion-sensor gadgets |
What I'll Assess
🐰 Your Rabbit Problem
When I visit, I'll look at:
- Severity: Casual visitors or resident population?
- Entry points: Where are they getting in?
- Damage pattern: What are they eating?
- Your priorities: Protect everything or just specific plants?
- Budget reality: What's proportionate spending?
Then I'll advise on:
- Full exclusion fencing (cost, effort, effectiveness)
- Protecting specific areas or plants
- Rabbit-resistant planting alternatives
- What's not worth attempting
Pricing Guide
| Service | You'll Pay |
|---|---|
| Site visit, assessment, practical advice | £60 |
| If you want me to install fencing/protection | Quoted separately based on work needed |
The advice visit is £60. Any actual installation work (fencing, plant guards, etc.) is a separate job quoted based on what you want doing.
Perfect For Your Situation If...
✅ Rabbit damage getting serious - need to do something
✅ Unsure what actually works - don't want to waste money
✅ Considering options - fencing vs other solutions
✅ Want realistic costs - before committing to work
Why Choose Us for Rabbit proofing advice in Exeter?
Assessment of your rabbit problem severity
Practical solutions that actually work
Realistic cost and effort estimates
Advice on what not to waste money on
What to Expect
Step 1: Assess the Problem
I'll walk your garden looking for entry points, damage patterns, how serious the rabbit pressure is. Are they living nearby or just passing through? Makes a difference to solutions.
Step 2: Discuss Options
Based on what I find, I'll explain what would actually work - full perimeter fencing, protecting specific beds, individual plant guards, rabbit-resistant planting. With realistic costs and effort for each option.
Step 3: Recommend Approach
I'll tell you honestly what I think makes sense for your situation and budget. Sometimes full exclusion is worth it, sometimes protecting a few prize plants is smarter, sometimes accepting rabbits and working around them is the pragmatic choice.
🔧 DIY Tips
Want to tackle rabbit-proofing yourself? Here's what actually works:
🔧 Materials that work
- Chicken wire: 25mm mesh, galvanised
- Rabbit fencing: Specific small-mesh wire fencing
- Stakes: Treated timber or metal posts every 2m
- Wire for burying: Extra chicken wire for underground barrier
🏗️ Effective rabbit fencing
The only method that reliably works:
- Height: 90cm minimum above ground (rabbits can jump)
- Depth: 30cm buried, bent outward underground (stops digging)
- Mesh size: 25mm or smaller (baby rabbits squeeze through larger gaps)
- No gaps at ground level: Wire must be tight to ground
- Strong stakes: Every 2m, driven 40cm+ into ground
Cost reality: For a 10m run you're looking at £150-200 in materials plus a full day's work. That's why people think twice about fencing whole gardens.
🌱 Plants rabbits usually avoid
Not foolproof, but they generally leave these alone:
- Herbs: Rosemary, lavender, sage, thyme
- Toxic: Foxgloves, euphorbias, hellebores
- Tough: Ferns, yucca, bamboo
- Prickly: Berberis, holly, pyracantha
- Strong-smelling: Alliums, geraniums
⚠️ Don't bother with
- Ultrasonic devices (they don't work, whatever reviews say)
- Deterrent sprays (wash off, rabbits habituate)
- Scent deterrents (human hair, predator urine, etc - ineffective)
- Planting marigolds as a barrier (rabbits will eat those too!)
- Anything advertised as "humane repellent" (translation: doesn't work)
💡 Pro trick: If you've just got a few prize plants to protect (vegetable bed, special roses), forget garden-wide solutions. Just cage those specific plants with chicken wire cylinders. Takes an hour, costs £20, actually works.
Rather leave it to a pro? No problem - that's what I'm here for. Give me a call.
Good to Know
🐰 Legal note: You can't trap, poison, or harm wild rabbits on your property without specific permissions. You CAN exclude them with fencing or protect your plants. That's your realistic option.
Acceptance approach: Some people just accept rabbits and plant accordingly. If you're not precious about specific plants, planting rabbit-resistant species might be easier than fighting a losing battle with fencing.
Professional fencing: If you decide you want proper rabbit-proof fencing installed, I can quote for that separately. But the advice visit helps you decide if that's proportionate to your problem first.
Ongoing battle: Even with good fencing, you need to check regularly for new gaps or dug sections. Rabbits are persistent and surprisingly clever at finding weaknesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you actually rabbit-proof a garden?
Honestly? It's difficult and expensive if you want 100% protection. Rabbits are persistent buggers who can dig under fences and squeeze through tiny gaps. I'll assess your situation and tell you what's realistic - might be full exclusion with buried wire, might be protecting specific plants, might be accepting some damage and managing it. Depends on your budget and how bad the problem is.
What's the most effective rabbit deterrent?
Physical barriers - specifically chicken wire buried 30cm deep and 90cm+ high. Everything else (ultrasonic devices, lion poo, human hair) is basically wishful thinking. If you don't want to fence, your options are accepting damage or protecting individual plants with wire guards.
How much does proper rabbit fencing cost?
For a typical garden, you're looking at several hundred quid in materials plus labour. That's why I'll give you honest advice - if you've only got a few prize plants to protect, caging those individually might be smarter than fencing the whole garden. Depends what you're trying to achieve.
Are there plants rabbits won't eat?
Yes - they tend to avoid strong-smelling herbs (rosemary, lavender), toxic plants (foxgloves, euphorbias), and tough leathery stuff (ferns, yucca). But a hungry rabbit in winter will have a go at most things. I can suggest rabbit-resistant planting but it's not foolproof.
What about the rabbit deterrent sprays and gadgets?
Save your money. Ultrasonic devices don't work (despite what Amazon reviews say). Deterrent sprays wash off in rain and rabbits get used to them. Motion-activated sprinklers annoy you more than the rabbits. If those things actually worked, nobody would bother with fencing.
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