Rabbit Control South Wales
Call 02920 552243 for pest rabbit control
Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) can be a real pest causing substantial damage and lower crop yields if not controlled.
If you have a problem with rabbits we will identify a suitable solution so that you can get control in an fast effective manor. We use several different methods including ferrets, long nets, traps, snares or shooting to deal with a rabbit infestation quickly and efficiently. we can also install rabbit proof fence.
Whether you are a farmer, horticulturalist, landowner, home owner, or you have a rabbit problem on a school playing field, an airfield, at your stud or stable, or even on your industrial estate we can provide an effective rabbit control and management service. We understand these pests and that rabbits can be a major problem that can cause serious damage if not controlled in an effective way.
The most effective time for us to work on rabbit problems is generally between late October and early April time. During this period general visibility and access to burrows is usually far easier as crop growth and vegetation doesn’t offer as much camouflage to the burrows.
For every doe removed during this time there will be 20 less offspring come the summer so reducing the numbers at this time of year will also reduce their impact on crops sown in the autumn as well as summer crops.
Whether you are a commercial farmer or domestic householder we have a rabbit control solution for you.
Cage Trapping : for crop protection
We offer a cage trapping service and will lay in the order of 30 traps per location and bait and monitor these traps twice daily as necessary over a period of a week. These are most successfully used in short vegetation on open ground.
We offer a dropbox installation and monitoring service to gain control of rabbits invading your land from a neighbouring property. We also live trap rabbit burrows.
Cage trapping can reduce a rabbit population by about 65%.
Rabbit Snaring & Spring Trapping
We offer a rabbit snaring service, often in combination with the trapping service. We only use free running non self locking snares with stops, so as to retain the rabbit for dispatch on attendance. Snares are checked on twice daily, and are set on well-used rabbit runs near to rabbit harbourage in areas of short growth vegetation.
We use Mk6 Fenn and 116 BMI Bodygrip traps which are also approved for use on grey squirrels, rats, weasels, stoats, rabbit and mink.
We do not use these methods unless livestock have been prohibited from entering the trapping area.
Ferreting
We offer a ferreting service dependent upon the time of year and the terrain. Often it is necessary to clear brambles and other growth to access burrow entrances a day or more before carrying out rabbit ferreting operations.
Shooting
We will work at night lamping and shooting to control an area once the number of rabbits has been reduced significantly. This is not an efficient way to control a growing rabbit population until numbers have been reduced.
Rabbit proofing
We offer a rabbit proofing service to both exclude rabbits from an area and to prevent ingress of rabbits into an area. This would usually be a 30mm wire (for long-term use) net fence. We also offer a fence maintenance program to check on its condition and make any necessary repairs, as any holes will be exploited by rabbits very quickly.
Where individual rabbits are causing a problem e.g. by entering a garden and eating vegetables or other plants, or damaging trees, rabbit-proof fencing could be used to prevent access.
Tree guards are usually 60cm high and are used to protect individual trees from rabbit damage. They can be constructed as plastic net guards, welded mesh cylinders, split plastic tubes and spiral plastic sleeves. The split plastic tubes can be used over stems of whips and standards; for feathered trees, spiral guards are used. It is important to ensure that if spiral guards are used no gaps are left between the spirals, since rabbits can gnaw thru a gap as small as 5mm. These spiral guards can be easily displaced by animals or wind.
For further information on fencing and electric rabbit fencing.
Gassing
We don’t carry out gassing operations on any wildlife. Undoubtedly gassing can reduce a rabbit population significantly and quickly when used correctly. Figures suggest a reduction in rabbit population by as much as 80%.
The main reason we tend to steer clear of gassing operations is the collateral damage of other wildlife that maybe residing in the burrows. It also seems to be a very impersonal form of control with no real sense of responsibility for the actions being taken; and what a waste of what might otherwise be a good meal.
If someone does carry out a gassing operation care should be taken that it is not within the vicinity of either a badgers set or a foxes earth, as it is illegal to gas badgers and there are no gases licensed for use on foxes. It should also be noted that the effectiveness of the fumigants is reduced if the ground is dry, the temperatures are below 5 C, or if the ground is porous.
Legislation relevant to rabbit control
• Animal Welfare Act 2006 : requires all captive animals to be treated humanely
• Hunting Act 2004 : hunting wild animals with dogs
• The Specified Pathogens Order 1998 : prohibits the introduction of the live virus causing
“viral haemorrhagic disease” VHD into an animal
• Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 : it is an offence to inflict unnecessary suffering – this needs to be considered when destroying occupied warrens and burrows.
• Spring Traps Approval Order 1995 : lists spring traps approved for killing rabbits.
• Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 : ban on self locking snares and for snares to be visited at least once a day
• Agricultural Act 1947 : to control pests
• Pests Act 1954 Section 12 : it is an offence to intentionally spread Myxomatosis
• Pests Act 1954 Section 1 : England and Wales (except City of London, and two other island areas) have been designated a Rabbit Clearance Area
• Prevention of Damage by Rabbits Act 1939
• Protection of Animals Act 1911 : requires spring traps to be inspected at least once a day between sunrise and sunset