How to Keep Animals Out of Your Garden
Ethan Hayes
Published Apr 05, 2026
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Hot Pepper Sauce
A homemade hot pepper mixture sprayed on your plants will make them taste bad to potential pests and keep animals out of garden. Mix 1 ounce of hot pepper sauce (the hotter the better), 4 drops of natural dish soap and 1 cup of aromatic leaves from plants that rabbits avoid (such as marigolds). Place the mixture in a blender and add a cup or two of water and puree until smooth. Strain the puree to remove any solids, then transfer the mixture to a spray bottle and add water to fill the bottle. Spray the mixture on your garden plants once a week or after every rain. Label the bottle and store the spray in your refrigerator.
Check out these 15 DIY pest control options.
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Store-Bought Repellents
Depending on your pests, you may be able to purchase store-bought repellents that are made to work for specific animals. A popular option is predator urine. Talk to an expert at your local gardening center to see what has worked for other area gardeners.
