An Integrated Pest Management approach is the most effective and cost efficient method of controlling rabbits. Using more than one control method on a rabbit population in rapid succession as part of a rabbit contol program is more likely to be successful in reducing rabbit numbers and their impacts on your property.
Any plan is going to be more effective when working together with neighbours where rabbits occur to stop reinfestation.
The following steps are provide to assist with developing a rabbit management plan using the integrated pest management approach.
The aim of integrated rabbit control
Assess - measure and define the problem
The first step of creating a rabbit control program is to define the problem and understand as much as possible about wild rabbits and why they are living on a property. Information on their impacts (damage), distribution and abundance, where they are found, what shelter they are using to thrive and where they are feeding, are valuable knowledge to allow formulation of a plan.
Using tools such as RabbitScan* allows records of:
- Rabbit activity (such as sightings and warrens)
- Damage (such as soil erosion)
- Control activities (such as warren ripping)
- Disease in rabbit populations (such as Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV or Calicivirus))
- Develop a property or local area map of rabbit activity to guide your control efforts.
*RabbitScan is a free resource for farmers, community groups, Landcare groups, pest controllers, local councils, biosecurity groups and researchers.
Rabbit density, the number of rabbits present in a certain area, affects the type and severity of damage they are causing.
Rabbit abundance and density estimates
Plan - The insight gained in the first step allows you to start planning
Create a detailed rabbit management plan that has specific aims and objectives to ensure the best outcomes. Eradication may not be possible in all areas, so ongoing monitoring and management is often required. Remember, just one pair of rabbits can re-infest a property.
Timing is everything for cost-effective rabbit control and the best time is in late summer and early autumn when breeding has generally stopped because the grass they feed on has dried off. Naturally harsh environmental conditions, such as flood or drought can also cause added stress on the rabbit population, leading to longer lasting results.
Trained Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) Biosecurity Inspectors can assist with rabbit control planning.
Phone: 03 6165 3777 or Email: invasivespecies@nre.tas.gov.au
Consider the following control option examples that are the most likely available to you (there may be more)
- Warren ripping
- Fencing
- Biological control (e.g. RHDV)
- Poisoning (e.g. Pindone)
- Shooting
- Exclusion
An Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPM) will require more than one control technique for effective rabbit control and requires getting the sequence and timing right to generate the most benefit. Ideally controls occur in three phases.
- Knockdown
- Knockout
- Mop-up
Knockdown
The aim of "knockdown" is culling to reduce the numbers of rabbits as much as possible to a manageable size before implementing other control methods. In Tasmania, landowners can choose from biological control and poisoning as part of their knockdown phase. A knowledge of each is required to understand how it works and in what circumstances it should be used as part of your integrated pest management plan.
Knockout
The aim of "knockout" is to inhibit breeding and recovery of rabbits with a more targeted approach now that you have reduced your rabbit population significantly in the "knockdown" phase. This step is crucial in preventing rabbit numbers bouncing back and undoing the work done so far. As rabbits rely on warrens and shelter (such as impenetrable vegetation or debris) for protection from the weather and predators, particularly young rabbits this is where efforts should be focussed.
- Ripping. The aim of ripping is to destroy warrens and ensure they cannot be re-used by subsequent generations of rabbits
- Removal of weeds or debris. When rabbits live above ground under the shelter of vegetation or other debris, that cover is crucial to their survival.
Mop-up and Monitor
Rabbit controls used in the "knockdown" and "knockout" phases are rarely completely successful (especially the first time around) and the objective of this phase is to eliminate all remaining rabbits. The following control techniques are suited to "mop-up" operations.
Manage - Implement your controls (monitor and respond as required)
After assessing the situation and planning what actions to use as part of an integrated management plan you are ready to implement rabbit controls specific to the situation. Remember, the timing of plan implementation is crucial, ensure all resources for successful completion are available before commencing.
Monitoring the results as the plan is implemented will allow for adapting and adjusting to changes that occur or unplanned situations. Monitoring also allows for measurement of the success or otherwise of the actions taken.
Improve
After implementing the integrated management plan for rabbit control there should be some knowledge of how successful the plan has been. Evaluating the plan and reflecting on what worked and what didn't will provide an insight on how to improve next time and build on successes. If the Rabbitscan tools mentioned earlier have been used, evaluating the rabbit control plan will be easier.
Rabbit control is a long-term, recurring program so revision is very important. Doing the same things over and over will only produce the same results. Apply learnings into the revison and adopt these for future planning.
Evaluation and revision of the plan enable continuous improvement in rabbit control.
Key Steps in Rabbit Control