Good planning will help beat rabbits
With summer just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start planning how to tackle rabbits at your place.
A well planned control program will reap huge benefits for both your property and for the broader landscape - crops, native vegetation, waterways and soils.
To get you started, Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu will be holding free Rabbit Control Information Sessions for landholders throughout the region in early December. These sessions will set you up for a really successful control program.
These sessions will help you to better understand rabbit behaviour and how to use this information to bait effectively and safely. You will learn how to use Pindone and K5 calicivirus, plus get tips for integrating other strategies to deter rabbits from establishing.
There’ll also be plenty of time for questions and discussion with our expert presenters.
The info sessions will be held at McLaren Flat (Dec 1), Goolwa (Dec 5), Mount Barker (Dec 5 and 10), Strathalbyn (Dec 12) and Aldgate (Dec 12). Bookings can be made on the Pest Animals webpage.
These sessions will be followed by several Rabbit Bait and Virus Distribution Days in February and March 2024, the perfect time to bait rabbits due to the dry conditions and low feed availability. Pindone + K5 (calicivirus) distribution events will be held between 5-16 February, and Pindone bait only events between 12-21 March.
Susan Ivory, Team Leader Regional Pests, said feral rabbits are an incredibly destructive pest in the region: “they pose a massive threat to biodiversity, agriculture and overall landscape health - overgrazing pasture and crops, causing erosion, preventing regeneration of native vegetation and impacting vulnerable ecosystems,” she said.
“As always, we encourage neighbours to plan their programs together because it really takes an integrated approach for long-lasting results. When it comes time to bait, properties must be over 1000m2 to use pindone, and it’s important to ‘free-feed’ unbaited carrots at least three times, over 9-10 days before baiting.
“With El Nino setting in, conditions will be less favourable for rabbits, making it the perfect time to make a real impact on the rabbit population. A good plan now will set landholders up for a successful baiting program and will guide them on how to remove rabbit shelter, including how to destroy warrens,” said Ms Ivory.
Visit our Pest Animals webpage to register for the information sessions. On this page, you will also find information, fact sheets and videos explaining how to lay the treated carrots.
