Rabbits

[pmrid (Peter)]

O.K. Serious question time - who has any suggestions for catching or otherwise dealing with unwelcome rabbits. A family of them has set up house under the floor of my observatory - it's a raised timber floor about 400-500 above ground level and therefore cool, shaded and relatively safe for them. But I noticed that they seem to have been multiplying and so the time has come for some serious action. I could shoot them I suppose (I'm in a rural location and have the necessary arms and licenses) but I'm a bit squeamish about shooting critters.
All suggestions not involving Daffy Duck and Yosemite Sam welcome.
Peter

[ourkind (Carlos)]

Originally Posted by pmrid

All suggestions not involving Daffy Duck and Yosemite Sam welcome.

I agree, neither of them were ever any good at hunting for wabbits

the following link seems to give some sound advice -> http://en.allexperts.com/q/Pest-Cont...00/rabbits.htm

[JB80 (Jarrod)]

Back in the day we would of trapped them or snared them and made a few nice stews but seeing as you already mentioned some squeamishness then maybe that's not for you. Maybe you have a neighbour or could ask down the local pub if anyone is up for it, being a rural location there's bound to be a few.

I suppose you could always bait them but the obsy may get a bit pongy.
Maybe give Rentokil a call.

Strangely enough we have loads of Rabbits too but I like them because it irks the landlord, plus I think the neighbours do their own control of tem.

[wasyoungonce (Brendan)]

...and now For something completely different, ....blow them up with the Holy hand grenade of Antioch!

edit:
Sorry...couldn't help myself! I should be back to normal soon...after meds!


Well if that don't work...build the great wall of China! Now that'll work. Or at least encase the floor to ground (and a few hundred millimetres below the ground) with wire mesh.

[Baddad (Marty)]

That's a good idea Brendan.

I usually do not try to advise on issues that I know nothing about. However this is an exception.

Build a mesh fence around your Ob. The rabbits will burrow out under the fence at night. They will try to re-enter in the morning or when alerted. All you need then is to block the holes while the rabbits are on the wrong side.

Make a one way door perhaps. They will soon learn how to get out. Make it very difficult to get back in.

This method works for many other animals. No one gets squeegy, no rabbits are harmed.
As Brendan suggested, though. To stop burrowing under the fence bury some mesh half a metre wide on the flat and a few cms under.

The fence will need to be 900mm high. That's a standard mesh width.

Keep us informed Peter

Cheers

[niko]

My suggestion is to have a long hard look at yourself in the mirror then take your gun and shoot them.

The only good rabbit is a dead rabbit.

These are not treasured animals, they are vermin. Yoiu have the gun, you have the licence. The tools to solve this problem are already at hand. Whatever you do, don't go to the pub and ask someone else to do it - you'll never be able to hold your head up high again.

good luck and shoot straight :-)

[Kunama]

Make a trap like a crab pot. Get some chicken mesh, about 2mt long and 30cm wide, coil it into a spiral so that the last coil on the inside leaves a gap of about 50mm, add top and bottom and a little hatch door to the top, insert lettuce inside it, the wascally wabbits will walk into the spiral and fowwow it to the wettuce, they will push through the 50mm gap as it will spring open a bit for them, when they want to leave they cannot because the wire ends will catch in the coat and prevent them getting through, like a one-way valve,


Good wuck Peter...................

[scagman (John)]

I agree with Niko, shoot the little buggers. If you can't bring yourself to shoot'em get some "Rabbait" pindone poison oat bait or if you can seal of the burrows, gets some "Fumitoxin" tablets and gas'em. But you do need to block all the exits when they are in their holes. No mess, no smell as they are buried.

Cheers

[blink138 (Pat)]

the first thing i would do is get the recipe books out!
pat

[torana68 (Roger)]

Dunno Id ask the neighbours, if I was one Id "pop" around no big deal if you dont want to , let them breed up and you could have a bigger problem.

[blink138 (Pat)]

Originally Posted by torana68

Dunno Id ask the neighbours, if I was one Id "pop" around no big deal if you dont want to , let them breed up and you could have a bigger problem.

or a bigger stew!
pat

[Regulus (Trevor)]

A Cat.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Poisoned carrots.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

I have my grandmothers cook books which have some excellent recipes for rabbit stew etc.
Pete, if you're a bit squeamish about shooting them, and I don't blame you, you are a gentle man, would you like me to get in touch with some locals and see if they wouldn't mind helping out?

[GTB_an_Owl (Geoff)]

for a solution near you

http://www.ferret.org.au/

there is more to that saying "give the ferret a run" than you might think

geoff

[pmrid (Peter)]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

I have my grandmothers cook books which have some excellent recipes for rabbit stew etc.
Pete, if you're a bit squeamish about shooting them, and I don't blame you, you are a gentle man, would you like me to get in touch with some locals and see if they wouldn't mind helping out?

Thanks JJJ. Those old cookbooks could be useful. I don't mind shooting the little blighters but hate to use the rifle these days since we discovered that it triggers epileptic seizures in my dog - poor thing. So I'll send her to friends for a day or so and see if I can get them all later this week. I had a couple of shots at one today but it became apparent quickly that I need to sight the rifle in again and that's anther job to be done first. All good fun.
Peter

[pmrid (Peter)]

Originally Posted by GTB_an_Owl

for a solution near you

http://www.ferret.org.au/

there is more to that saying "give the ferret a run" than you might think

geoff

I love the link. What a hoot!

Peter

[pmrid (Peter)]

Originally Posted by torana68

Dunno Id ask the neighbours, if I was one Id "pop" around no big deal if you dont want to , let them breed up and you could have a bigger problem.

Thanks Roger - I appreciate the thought though.
Peter

[tlgerdes (Trevor)]

Originally Posted by multiweb

Poisoned carrots.

You dont want dead rabbits under your observatory, they smell.