Rabbit control

Rabbits are a major agricultural and horticultural pest causing decimating shrubs and plants, and causing extensive damage to young trees. It is estimated that in the UK alone, Rabbits damage can cost the agricultural and horticultural industries alone in excess of £100 million per year! It is thought that a single rabbit can consume in the region of a pound or more of vegetation per day and when a rabbits reproduction cycle is taken in to consideration, rabbit problems can soon spiral out of control.

Rabbits can not only cost the agriculture and horticulture industries hundreds of millions of pounds per year, they can also cause damage to managed woodlands; recreational and leisure facilities, undermining of embankments and structures both of which can cause serious public health and safety risks!

Suddenstrike Pest Control are here to help, we are your local, friendly, professional pest control providers, with British Pest Control Association (BPCA) certified technicians, ready to assist you, with a range of treatments available.

Why control Rabbits?

Rabbits can cause many problems both in the countryside and increasingly, in urban areas. They have the potential to damage your home, business and health, damage to crops, plans and shrubs as well as ecological damage and spread disease, both of which has a negative impact on ecosystems and other wildlife.

Property damage

The most obvious issue with Rabbits is their burrows. When they burrow in gardens, parks, leisure facilities and other outdoor spaces, they cause damage to buildings and structures, as well as damage to lawns, flower and beds. When found in sports and leisure facilities, they also create a health and safety risk to users of the facility.

Crop and plant damage

Rabbits will cause substantial damage to agricultural crops, garden plans, shrubs and plants at garden nurseries as well as at leisure facilities. This damage can lead to large financial losses for businesses such as those in the farming and nursery industries.

Ecological damage

Overgrazing by Rabbits can have a negative impact on ecosystems, through soil erosion and changes in habitat structure, leading to negative effects on other wildlife who share the local environment.

Disease transmission

Wild rabbits can carry and transmit diseases which can be passed on to other wildlife and pets, these diseases include myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease.

Rabbits and the law

In the UK, Under the Pests Act 1954, all occupiers of land have a responsibility to take action to prevent Rabbits from causing damage. This act, declared England (excluding the City of London and Isles of Scilly) was a rabbit clearance area and as such, landowners and occupiers are legally obligated to control rabbit numbers on their property or land to prevent rabbits from causing damage.

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Rabbit management

Rabbit control

There are various methods of rabbit control available, some of which are more successful than others; however, the method used for rabbit control greatly depends on the size, nature and location of the problem i.e. rabbits found in public areas require a discrete method of control to minimise public awareness, where as rabbits found on farm land would require a more cost effective solution as the problems are likely to be on a much larger scale.

Traps: There are various methods of trapping available to control rabbits such as the use of live catch traps and Fenn traps. These methods whilst not as effective as Aluminium Phosphide are an alternative and are generally employed in situations where the use of Aluminium Phosphide for Rabbit control is either not feasible or legal such as in some domestic situations.
Aluminium Phosphide: The use of Aluminium Phosphide is restricted to qualified operatives and it can only be used in specific situations following a survey for non-target species. All of our technicians are fully trained, qualified and insured so you can be sure that any work carried out by a Suddenstrike Pest Control technician is being carried out by a competent professional.
Long nets: Rabbit control using long nets is a very useful and effective method of control especially when used in conjunction with other methods and is particularly useful in situations where other methods are either not practice or legal.
Drop box traps: Drop box traps are generally used in conjunction with rabbit proof fencing and commonly found in forest plantations. Rabbit drop box traps are moderately effective and are should not be employed as a main method of control.

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Rabbit proofing and rabbit fencing

If installed correctly, Rabbit proof fences are an extremely effective method of keeping rabbits out of gardens, fields, cemeteries and many other locations. There are two types of rabbit proof fence available – temporary and permanent. Temporary rabbit proof fences are a short term solution to keeping rabbits out of an area to allow shrubs and plants to grow unhindered. Permanent rabbit proof fencing is usually a long term solution to ongoing problems where rabbits are entering gardens and property from neighbouring land where access to control rabbits is unavailable.

For further details on our rabbit fencing services, please visit our Rabbit Fencing page, here.

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Rabbit fact file

The European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), is non-native species, introduced in to the UK in the around the 1200s.
Lifespan: 5-7 years
Weight: 1.2-2.0kg
Size: up to 40cm in length
Brown to silver grey in colour.
Live in warrens of 2-10 other individuals.
Have 3-7 litters of young (kits) per year, with 3-7 per litter.
Male Rabbits are called a Buck and Females are called a Doe.