Running out of options

[R_Oldroyd 17]

Hi All,

 

I seem to have this problem from time to time. Gardens and they are a nightmare. You know the ones with rabbit problems where you can only catch a few with cages and you can't use snares because the owner and neighbours have pets and basically there is nothing to ferret so to put it bluntly i is up s**t creek without a paddle.

 

Naturally the owner wants results but is too tight to put up fences and all i can do is use harsh langage because the last cage trapping session dew a complete blank. Time wasted i hate it.

 

So i have a question what are your thoughts on making false tunnels to place in the garden with fenn mark 6 in them, do you think this could work and how would you go about it. Have read abit about it but a bit more light shead on the subject with pictures would be handy.

 

Regards Roger.

Edited January 17, 2009 by R_Oldroyd

[Rolfe 2]

Hi Roger,

The problem you have is a very common one. It is one i encounter many times during the working year......more often in the springtime when the young rabbits are about. There is no easy answer i am afraid .....because if there was i would have found it by now. The tunnel idea may work if you can find a specific access point to locate it, i am thinking here of a hole through or under a fence.......but if it were a really heavy infestation and you had a long term contract a drop box could be the answer. The trouble is with most gardens that there are so many different entry points.......some just coming through the hedge from next door for instance........that placing tunnels on all of these runs just would not be practicable.

If rabbits are insitu........under a shed or summerhouse......its a simple task to run the long net round and slip the ferret in to achieve results..........the same as if there was a bury on site.... I always explain to any client that whilst i can deal with the rabbits on site.........i cannot always deal with the ones that re-colonise from the outside area.......unless they take steps to prevent access IE install rabbit proof fencing then it can be a never ending story.

So Roger........Cage trapping may still be one of the best methods of rabbit control to the large open garden areas.....unless the client is prepared to spend a fortune installing rabbit proof fencing.....which is seldom rabbit proof anyway.......as there are always entrance gates etc. that cant be successfully proofed as they need to be open for certain times of the day.

If somebody could give me the perfect answer to this problem it would be great........but i fear like many situations there isn't one.

 

Rolfe.

[zig zag wanderer 0]

I may be wrong but I thought it was illegal to set spring traps in the "open" to kill rabbits (artificial tunnels or not).

[Foxy09 3]

Hi Roger,

The problem you have is a very common one. It is one i encounter many times during the working year......more often in the springtime when the young rabbits are about. There is no easy answer i am afraid .....because if there was i would have found it by now. The tunnel idea may work if you can find a specific access point to locate it, i am thinking here of a hole through or under a fence.......but if it were a really heavy infestation and you had a long term contract a drop box could be the answer. The trouble is with most gardens that there are so many different entry points.......some just coming through the hedge from next door for instance........that placing tunnels on all of these runs just would not be practicable.

If rabbits are insitu........under a shed or summerhouse......its a simple task to run the long net round and slip the ferret in to achieve results..........the same as if there was a bury on site.... I always explain to any client that whilst i can deal with the rabbits on site.........i cannot always deal with the ones that re-colonise from the outside area.......unless they take steps to prevent access IE install rabbit proof fencing then it can be a never ending story.

So Roger........Cage trapping may still be one of the best methods of rabbit control to the large open garden areas.....unless the client is prepared to spend a fortune installing rabbit proof fencing.....which is seldom rabbit proof anyway.......as there are always entrance gates etc. that cant be successfully proofed as they need to be open for certain times of the day.

If somebody could give me the perfect answer to this problem it would be great........but i fear like many situations there isn't one.

 

Rolfe.

 

Spot on, come across this problem many times a year myself and if the customer isnt willing to pay out for Fencing or other proofing there is no solution other than long term control using the various methods already mentioned.

 

Foxy

[RatSnatcher 0]

Is this adjoining farm land then you could possibly get trapping or snaring rights of the farmer

 

other than that drop boxes, and train the owner how to at least check them, get him to sign that you have showed him how to do this and text you when there is dispatching to be done

[ellir0305 9]

I may be wrong but I thought it was illegal to set spring traps in the "open" to kill rabbits (artificial tunnels or not).

 

no as long as they are cobvered with a suitable tunnel (the definition of which is quite a controversy) they are perfectly legal

[moley 115]

I may be wrong but I thought it was illegal to set spring traps in the "open" to kill rabbits (artificial tunnels or not).

 

no as long as they are cobvered with a suitable tunnel (the definition of which is quite a controversy) they are perfectly legal

 

heres one to try, dig yourself a rabbit hole , the perfect size for a trap , it wants to be about 12-18 inches long , then dig another smaller hole at an angle to it , set your trap , the rabbits will go into a hole that is fresh dug , especially if they can feel air but cannot see thru , its a version of the american elbow set for mink on river banks , flower beds are best as its not going to good to dig up the customers lawn ,you can also put urine from another rabbit in the hole to get the dominants working ,i use it on the fell where rabbits are living in shake holes or cracks in thre rock ,it works

[The one 8,512]

We had one the guy used to play golf in his garden and the rabbits where digging it all up but there where no holes in his garden bloke next door had wee dogs and moaned like fukc about the snares .I just drove up and lamped it with my rimmy bloke next door was sitting at his compter and never heard anything .Big gardens backed on to farmland though

[micky 3,325]

I may be wrong but I thought it was illegal to set spring traps in the "open" to kill rabbits (artificial tunnels or not).

 

no as long as they are cobvered with a suitable tunnel (the definition of which is quite a controversy) they are perfectly legal

 

heres one to try, dig yourself a rabbit hole , the perfect size for a trap , it wants to be about 12-18 inches long , then dig another smaller hole at an angle to it , set your trap , the rabbits will go into a hole that is fresh dug , especially if they can feel air but cannot see thru , its a version of the american elbow set for mink on river banks , flower beds are best as its not going to good to dig up the customers lawn ,you can also put urine from another rabbit in the hole to get the dominants working ,i use it on the fell where rabbits are living in shake holes or cracks in thre rock ,it works

whats a shake hole? its a term i have never heard before

[moley 115]

whats a shake hole? its a term i have never heard before

 

just holes in the ground about 20-30ft across and 10-15 ft deep, dunno how they are caused , but they are natural and usually have a biggish hole in the bottom where rabbits often live or run too with the dogs on em, cannot ferret or trap so i dig artificial holes to trap in , you often see them marked on OS maps

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

Shake are caused by erosion under the surface by water. Can be in earth or stone..... we also have what we call 'clincks' (spell?) which are long splits/cracks in the limestone which the bunnies love, I avoid taking the lurcher and terriers up to these places, spaniels seem ok though, some of the clinks go deep, and a terrier would not get out easily. The foxes love these too.

 

Thanks for the tips there moley about the elbow tunnels, do you do this on a large scale? Will definatly give this a go!

[moley 115]

Shake are caused by erosion under the surface by water. Can be in earth or stone..... we also have what we call 'clincks' (spell?) which are long splits/cracks in the limestone which the bunnies love, I avoid taking the lurcher and terriers up to these places, spaniels seem ok though, some of the clinks go deep, and a terrier would not get out easily. The foxes love these too.

 

Thanks for the tips there moley about the elbow tunnels, do you do this on a large scale? Will definatly give this a go!

 

 

i have used it a fair bit , but its best to trap in natural holes , just another option

[Sterry 0]

im not too sure if the situation your in will permitt this method but could you not regulary long net it using a drop net? other than that traps seem to be the way

[R_Oldroyd 17]

Hi All,

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

I think that i might have to be a little more adventurious with the MK6s along the hedgelines and will have to try and come up with some tunnels which i will bury. I might try and position one along the gate sides as this is one area that they are getting though.

 

regards Roger.

[zig zag wanderer 0]

I still believe it is illegal to set spring traps for rabbits in the open. Only permissible in rabbit holes.

 

9 Open trapping of hares and rabbits in England and Wales(1)Subject to the provisions of this section, a person shall be guilty of an offence under this subsection if, for the purpose of killing or taking hares or rabbits, he uses, or knowingly permits the use of, a spring trap elsewhere than in a rabbit hole.

 

Pests Act 1954