Commonly found throughout the rural areas of the UK, rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are a small, brown-furred mammal. Originally introduced by the Normans in the 12th century for their fur and meat, they multiplied quickly. They may look cute but they have a destructive nature when it comes to chewing and burrowing. It is estimated that they cause over £100 million in damage every year. The Pests Act of 1954 made the majority of England a rabbit clearance area; this means you’re responsible for the control of rabbit damage if they’re on your land and must take action to stop the damage spreading to neighbouring crops. Rabbits must be controlled in a way that doesn’t cause unnecessary distress or suffering to the animal.

They are typically more active overnight but can be sighted during the day if they feel safe enough. Their burrowing causes unsightly holes and can lead to the ground becoming weakened by their tunnels underneath.

They are renowned for their breeding habits; their breeding season runs from January to July. With a female able to produce up to 5 litters of up to 8 young a year and a short gestation period of around 28 days, it’s clear why the population has exploded.

Rabbits live off a vegetable-based diet, eating grass, plants, tree bark, and bulbs leading to destruction of crops, fields, parks and gardens.

Signs of infestation

One of the usual signs that rabbits have entered your garden or greenspace are rabbit holes. They target vegetable crops as a food source so you may notice nibble marks on leaves, and missing or damaged crops. If you suspect rabbits are visiting, stay up to see if you can spot any that come out to feed after dusk.

Prevention

Install rabbit-proof wire, such as wire mesh or electric netting, around the perimeter of the area or any vegetation you wish to protect. Embed the wire deeper into the ground to deter rabbits who try to burrow underneath it.

Treatment

There are many means of controlling rabbits and the damage they cause; with the Defenders brand, we focus on caring control of the pest and promote humane solutions that cause limited suffering. The live catch animal cages are a discreet solution that allow for a humane despatch of the captured rabbit. Once captured, they should be released 3 miles from catch-site. We have a variety of live catch cage traps in different sizes, the STV071 is recommended for the capture of rabbits.

Position the trap in an area where rabbits have been active, where there’s evidence of tracks or burrowing. Use a bait such as carrots within the trap, and also position some along the rabbit tracks and at the trap entrance to encourage the rabbit inside. To despatch a rabbit, a quick, forceful blow with a heavy object should be given to the back of the head.

Live catch animal cage traps from Defenders come with an on-pack lifetime guarantee.

When trapping live animals, you must adhere to the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 and ensure captured animals do not suffer. Should you wish to capture rabbits alive, remember that these must be humanely despatched and not released back into the wild.

Humane despatching

By law animals must be killed using the methods set out in the Schedule 1 to the Animals Act 1986, with the proviso that they are carried out by a competent person and death is subsequently confirmed. These methods include destruction of the brain and dislocation of the neck. These methods cause minimal stress if carried out competently by a handler with whom the animals are familiar; loss of consciousness can be rapid and there should be no pain.