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Can Rabbits Eat Zucchini? – What You Need to Know
Summer isn’t complete without a massive harvest of zucchini. They are a prolific plant, and you often have to beg neighbors and friends to take some of your bounties. However, if you have a family of rabbits living in the woods nearby, you may wonder can rabbits eat zucchini. They could destroy your potential harvest.
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Rabbits are problematic for gardeners. They are adaptable creatures found in, not only rural settings but also in cities and suburbs. Rabbits can make their homes in a row of bushes or overgrown bushes.
What is Zucchini?
Gardeners and cooks easily recognize a zucchini, identifiable by its dark green exterior and a long length. When allowed to grow freely, it isn’t uncommon to find a zucchini over a foot long inside of your garden.
Zucchinis are a member of the squash family along with other vegetables like acorn and butternut squash. Cucumbers and melons, like cantaloupes, belong to the same family. The exterior of the zucchini features a dark green skin. The entire vegetable is firm with a pale interior.
Can Rabbits Eat Zucchini?
Yes, rabbits can eat zucchini. Rabbits can and do eat just about anything they can find. If you have a flower bed, tulips are a favorite, tasty treat, especially in early spring.
Pet owners can opt to feed zucchini to their rabbits, but it shouldn’t be their entire diet. They prefer fresh grass, rabbit pellets, and hay, along with a bowl of fresh water. Zucchini does offer nutrient value to your rabbits such as high levels of potassium, iron, calcium and protein. Vitamins A, B6, and C are found in zucchini as well.
Zucchini Isn’t a Typical Choice
While rabbits can eat zucchini, that doesn’t mean they will pick them. In a vegetable garden, most rabbits prefer veggies like beans, beets, and peas. With plenty of options surrounding them, they steer away from tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, corn and squash.
Your pet rabbit may devour a bowl of zucchini scraps, but wild rabbits aren’t fond of this vegetable. A curious rabbit may take a few bites, but you are more likely to find them hiding beneath the broad leaves.
Rabbits have a strong need to nibble. You can give them cardboard tubes, newspaper, and a massive amount of veggie scraps; their need to chew never seems to diminish. For this reason, your plants may be ignored for weeks.
Then, you come out one morning to discover half of your crop destroyed. The gentle rabbit hiding under the leaves for the last few weeks ate all of the tastier options and moved onto the zucchini plant. Sometimes, they eat just to find something to chew.
- Did You Know Rabbits Can Eat Watermelon? Check this out here!
Deterring Rabbits from the Garden
Thankfully, there are a lot of ways to stop rabbits from entering your garden. Let’s take a look at the top ways to stop these pesky creatures from destroying your harvest.
#1. Make a Fence
One of the best ways to keep rabbits out of your entire garden is to put up fencing. A two-foot high fence, made of poultry mesh, is the simplest way to solve the issue. The mesh should be 1 inch in diameter or smaller. Some gardeners recommend 3/4 inches to be safe. Use sturdy stakes, so the fence doesn’t topple over in the middle of a storm.
In most areas, two-feet tall is adequate. However, if you live in an area with jack rabbits, you need something taller. Aim for four feet and include a five to six-inch bend at the top to stop jumping.
- If you want to know how high can rabbits jump? Click here!
#2. Add an Aroma
Via Amazon.com
One safe way to deter rabbits is to add a deterring aroma. Sprinkle dried blood around the border of your garden. Some people use fox urine. A clever trick is to tie cotton balls to the fence and add a few drops of fox urine to the cotton balls every few days.
Ferret owners are in lucky; they are a natural predator of rabbits. Leave a trail of their feces around the perimeter of your garden. Ammonia is another choice, but it is strong.
#3. Coverage of Targets
Via Amazon.com
If you are concerned about a particular plant or crop, you can cover your plants with garden fabric while using hoops to support the material. It is an easy way to cover your entire bed of salad greens or zucchini plants. You can also use 3/4 inch mesh fencing to create a tunnel for the row.
Here is a helpful video from Weekend Farmer to show you some tips on how to keep rabbits out of your garden
Conclusion
Gardeners have to contend with a variety of pests, blights, and insects. If you find yourself faced with a family of rabbits, you are sure to wonder can rabbits eat zucchini. They can decide to eat your lovely harvest, but they are more likely to pick your beans or beets. If you are concerned, take preemptive measures to deter them from your garden before a problem strikes.
We hope this article was helpful. If it was, don’t forget to share it! Have you ever had any issues with rabbits eating your zucchini? We would love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
About the Author Laura Bennett
Hello, I’m Laura Bennett. I love nature especially when it comes to flowers and different kinds of plants. I started a very small garden behind my house and I named it Humid Garden. So, I created this blog to provide aspiring and inspiring thoughts about gardening for gardeners and anyone who has the intention of keeping a garden.
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