The delight of seeing young rabbits, frolicking in the morning sunshine across the fields is a wonderful site… until you realise, that the rabbit population is out of control and causing expensive, extensive damage to the countryside or your garden.
Rabbits, like many other pests, are prolific breeders. With a gestation period between 28 and 31 days, the female rabbit can be pregnant again within a few days. Producing between 6 and 9 rabbits per litter, you can see why their numbers can become an issue.
Their constant nibbling and gnawing at crops, trees, shrubs and fencing, as well as stored food on farms etc., can make the rabbit a real nuisance. Although they have many predators in the wild, from birds of prey to foxes, their ability to reproduce quickly means their population is rarely ‘dented’ in terms of numbers.
Their tunnelling can also make the ground unsafe, with the entrance to their warrens also causing problems for livestock that can get their feet or hooves trapped in the opening, causing them injury.
Rabbits need constant attention and methods in order to keep their numbers under control;
- After assessing the situation, the numbers of rabbits on the land will need to be reduce – this can be done through a variety of means from trapping, gassing, netting and shooting.
- In some cases, it is also possible to rabbit proof an area – rabbit proof fencing can stop rabbits from gaining access to some portions of land. Although an investment, it is far more cost effective that continually spending money on repairs and other bills to make good damage caused by rabbits.
- It is the law to keep your land as rabbit-free as possible – and as a local pest control company, we know the damage that rabbits can cause, in next to no time. Poison is a possibility too, but again, using a professional and qualified pest control technician is essential to protect non-target animals.
Rabbits are a natural part of the countryside, playing an important ecological role in the food chain of the natural habitat that surrounds us but, with their numbers out of control, the balance of the countryside is lost.