Perhaps your foundation is turning out to be an inviting spot for a certain rodent…the kind with long ears, fluffy tails, and an insatiable curiosity. You’re even wondering whether or not the unwelcome visitor can do any damage to your house’s foundation. So, can rabbits damage the house foundation?
Rabbits, chipmunks, or any other pests can cause structural damage if they come in multitudes and are ignored long enough. But if you have a concrete foundation, it becomes harder for these critters to burrow into, so there’s less of a chance for damage. Even so, it’s always best to find ways to keep these critters away from your structure!
If you’re worried that rabbits may damage your foundation, you just came to the right place. Herein, we’ll uncover the threat these adorable creatures pose and the ways to keep them from getting close to your home. So, if that’s your current concern, you’ll have all the solutions in no time!
What Do Rabbits Do To Your Foundation?
If your foundation isn’t made of concrete, rabbits can easily burrow and create tunnels that may potentially damage it. These critters have strong claws that can dig and make holes in the foundation – this could lead to weakened walls and even collapse.
But if your foundation is made of concrete, they won’t be able to do much harm as the structure is too strong. However, it’s better if you don’t take any chances and take the steps to keep them away from your house.
You see, rabbits are driven by instinct to burrow, and they can easily dig up the dirt and soil around your foundation, weakening its structure over time. Their digging can even damage surrounding pipes and wires, resulting in costly repairs.
What Do Chipmunks Do To Your Foundation?
Chipmunks are also capable of burrowing around the foundation, particularly if it’s not made of concrete. These little creatures can be persistent and may cause damage if their holes are ignored for a long period.
Chipmunks can also dig up the plants in your garden, making it hard to protect the foundation from them. It’s best to take steps to get rid of any chipmunks in the area, as they can be quite destructive if left unchecked.
How Deep Can Rabbits Dig Holes?
We don’t have hard and fast rules regarding how deep rabbits can dig. They can dig as shallow as 2 feet deep and sometimes up to 10 or even 15 feet deep, with the depth depending on the type of motivation they have to dig and the type of soil.
If your area has sandy soil, the rabbits may dig much deeper than if it had loam or clay. Sandy soil is much easier to dig, and the rabbits can get a lot of material out of it in a shorter time than when burrowing in other types of soil.
About the width of the hole, it measures about 4 to 6 inches. But again, like the depth, it’s not cast in stone. The same applies to the digging angle, although most of these critters seem to love to dig at shallow angles.
How To Get Rabbits From Digging Under The Foundation?
Once you notice that your foundation is becoming an inviting target for rabbits, opt for rabbit fences, humane traps, or rabbit deterrents to help you keep them from damaging your structure. You can even call professional pest control services to handle the situation if you can’t do so yourself.
Using Fence
If the rabbits come from a nearby field, you can protect your foundation by putting up a fence. Ensure it’s high enough that the rabbits can’t jump over – at least 4 feet.
Also, ensure the bottom is buried about a foot into the ground to prevent them from digging under. Use chicken wire at the bottom to keep the rabbits from digging or clawing their way through the fence.
You can use the chicken mesh at the top or any other fence as long as it doesn’t leave a lot of gap for the rabbits to squeeze through. Actually, you’d rather stick to the chicken mesh as it keeps even the baby rabbits from entering.
Humane Traps
The other thing you can do is to get humane traps and catch the rabbits before they cause any harm. But for this method, it requires skill and you can only use it when dealing with one or two rabbits as trapping large colonies is a daunting task and takes time.
However, if you choose it as your preferred method, we’ve got a plethora of humane traps in the market you can choose from. Just ensure that you get one that’s large enough for the size of the rabbits you’re dealing with and one that’s easy to operate.
Then, use some of the rabbit’s favorite foods as bait, such as apples, carrots, or vegetables. Set the trap in areas where you often spot them, like down the foundation’s wall, and wait for the rabbits to enter.
Check it in the morning and evening to handle the catch before it gets too hot or cold. Most rabbits choose to remain active during the day and spend the night hiding from predators.
Once you catch them, move and release them to a place far away from your area. The wild is their home, and they’ll be happy to live in a place away from your foundation.
Repellents
Apart from fencing and trapping, you can also use repellents. And here, you’ve got a wide range of rabbit repellents, pick the one that goes with your preference.
You can opt for:
- Plant repellents
- Ultrasonic rabbit repellents
- Predator-associated repellents
Let’s take a look at each.
Plant Repellents
If you’re a gardening enthusiast and don’t want to use any chemical-based repellents, then plant repellents are the best options. These include planting certain shrubs and flowers around the house that rabbits don’t like.
Some of these include:
- Lavender
- Geranium
- Rue
- Onion
- Garlic
- Rosemary
All these options produce a pungent smell that the rabbits find unappealing. Plus, they also act as a great ornamental addition to the garden.
Ultrasonic Rabbit Repellents
These repellents work by emitting high-frequency sound waves that only rabbits can hear. The sound waves are uncomfortable for the rabbits and cause them to flee from the area without causing any harm.
These devices, however, can be expensive and may require a lot of maintenance. Plus, they may not always be effective in areas with high ambient noise.
Predator-Associated Repellents
These repellents involve using odor or sound that rabbits associate with their predators. You can use wolf urine, fox poop, coyote urine, or fake owls around the house.
The rabbits will believe that predators are nearby and avoid your foundation area and home in general entirely.
If you don’t have all of these options available, you can also opt for your cat’s litter. Yes, the smell of it is enough to keep the rabbits away from your property.
Organic Repellents
Organic repellents are also great if you don’t want to use chemicals. These include cayenne pepper, chili powder, or garlic powder. Simply sprinkle these over the area you want to protect from rabbits, and they’ll stay away!
The only issue with this method is that you’ll need to reapply it after a few days as the smell dissipates quickly.
Chemical Repellents
Lastly, you can opt for chemical repellents. These are probably the most effective options but should be used cautiously as they may be toxic to other wildlife.
Ensure you read the instructions carefully before using them and don’t overuse them. As with organic repellents, you’ll need to reapply the chemical repellent every few days to ensure that it’s effective.
Professional Service
You can always call in a professional if all of these options fail. They’ll be able to diagnose the problem more accurately and provide solutions to solve it. The good thing about them is that they know how to handle the situation without harming any of the wildlife.
However, this can be expensive and time-consuming, so explore all your options before going for professional service.
How To Get Rid Of Chipmunks Under The Porch?
Unlike rabbits, chipmunk removal can be quite tricky as they have a knack for squeezing through tight spaces. But then, it’s not impossible to keep them away. Once you’re sure that they’re there, we’ve got several ways you can proceed to get rid of them.
But even before we get into the elimination techniques, you may want to know the tell-tale signs of this pesky infestation.
They include:
- Holes in the ground: Especially if there’s plenty of food in your home. They can be big or small, with the smaller ones helping them forage for food during the day and the bigger ones for sleeping at night.
- Footprints: The little rodents have four toes in the front and five in the back.
- Droppings: They leave behind droppings that look like small pellets. They’re usually brown black in color and can accumulate around the
- Nut and seed shells on the porch: Because the chipmunks love to eat nuts and seeds, they often leave behind shells near their burrows.
Once you’ve identified the signs of chipmunk infestation, you can use some of these techniques to eliminate them:
Natural Repellents
Just like rabbits, you can use natural repellents such as cayenne pepper and garlic powder near the area to repel them away. The strong smell will keep them from coming back, and you’ll be able to enjoy a chipmunk-free porch.
Essential oils like cinnamon, lemon, peppermint, and eucalyptus are also great for keeping these pesky critters away. In a spray bottle, mix either of these oils with water and then spray around the affected area.
Alternatively, human hair is another naturally occurring repellent that can be used to deter chipmunks. But it needs sprinkling around an area, which may not be suitable for your porch area.
Keep Your Porch Cleaner
The best way to get rid of chipmunks is to ensure that your porch and garden area is always clean. This means removing any debris or leaves that may be lying around.
It also means covering any holes or openings with a mesh to prevent them from entering your home in the first place. This is a great preventive measure to ensure that chipmunks don’t come in the first place.
Use Traps
You can also use traps to catch chipmunks. There are various types of traps available in the market, and all you need to do is bait the trap with food or seeds.
Once the chipmunk enters the trap, you can easily remove it and release it in a safe and suitable environment. Only ensure that you put on thick pair of gloves as chipmunks can bite when trying to fight back.
Can Rabbits Damage The Grass of Your Lawn?
Rabbits can certainly damage the grass of your lawn, especially if it’s not managed properly. They are a common garden pest that nibbles on different parts or grass, including the roots, which can cause serious damage.
Again, other than damaging the grass, rabbit urine is too concentrated and can kill the grass, especially if you keep entertaining them in your lawn.
Even worse, rabbits can carry dangerous diseases which can easily be passed to humans and other animals within your home. Ringworm, pasteurellosis, mycobacteriosis, and cryptosporidiosis are just some of the zoonotic diseases you should be aware of.
To prevent rabbits from damaging your lawn, you can use natural repellents such as predator urine or make an herbal
Conclusion
Rabbits and chipmunks can certainly cause damage to your home foundation if they burrow underneath it. They may appear cute and harmless, but they can quickly become a nuisance if they’re not kept in check.
However, with the right knowledge and techniques, you can easily eliminate them from your home and prevent damage to your foundation. From using natural repellents to keeping the porch area clean, there are various ways of eliminating chipmunks and rabbits safely.