What fencing is recommended to exclude rabbits from gardens?

• A. Two-foot high chicken wire (1 inch or less mesh) with the bottom tight to the ground or buried a few inches
• B. Six-foot high chain-link fence
• C. Three-foot high plastic mesh with no burial
• D. Four-foot high hardware cloth with large mesh

Answer: (A)

Rabbits are small and adept at squeezing through tiny openings and tunneling under barriers. The most reliable garden exclusion uses a fence with small openings and a bottom that sits against the soil or is buried a few inches. A two-foot-tall chicken wire with 1 inch (or smaller) mesh, kept tightly to the ground or buried, creates a continuous, low barrier at ground level that rabbits can’t chew through or push aside. The combination of small mesh and soil contact prevents both entry through gaps and digging underneath.

The other options fall short because they rely on height or larger openings rather than a solid ground seal. A tall chain-link fence can still be bypassed at the bottom if the ground isn’t sealed and the mesh is large enough for a rabbit to pass. Plastic mesh without burial leaves a clear path for rabbits to dig under, and fencing with large-mesh hardware cloth has openings big enough for rabbits to fit through or grab onto.