Rabbits
While rabbits are often seen as beloved family pets, uncontrolled wild rabbit populations can cause extensive damage to gardens, land, and property. They are also known carriers of disease and, if left unmanaged, can present a genuine health risk.
At Full Guard, we understand that many people are reluctant to cause harm to rabbits. For this reason, we always aim to implement the most humane control methods available, alongside effective preventative solutions to reduce future problems wherever possible.
On agricultural land, the impact can be severe. Each rabbit per hectare is estimated to reduce crop yield by approximately 1%, meaning even small populations can have a devastating effect in commercial settings. As a result, landowners are legally obliged to control rabbit populations on their land.
Under Section 1 of the Pests Act 1954, England and Wales were declared a Rabbit Clearance Area. This places responsibility on every occupier of land to destroy wild rabbits or take reasonable steps to prevent them from causing damage.
Wild rabbits are found throughout the UK, primarily in rural areas such as woodlands and moorlands, but they are increasingly common in towns and cities, often seen along roadsides and in gardens. Their ability to reproduce rapidly adds to the challenge: during the breeding season, which runs from January to August, a single female can produce three to seven young every month, resulting in over 40 offspring per year.
Without effective control, rabbit populations can escalate quickly, making early, professional intervention essential.
INFESTATION IDENTIFICATION
Rabbit Droppings
Rabbits leave little heaps of round, dry, pea-sized droppings, often on raised spots such as molehills or tufts of grass. Longer, rice-shaped droppings are more likely to come from rats or mice.
Teeth Marks
Rabbits gnaw the bark off young trees, hedges and shrubs, usually low down near the ground. Trees that are stripped all the way round can die, so check trunk bases for fresh damage.
Rabbit Burrows
Burrow entrances are roughly 10 to 15cm wide and often join up into a large warren underground. Fresh droppings, scratched earth and tufts of fur around the holes show they're in use.
Whats the difference between rabbits and hares?
Rabbits
Rabbits are generally smaller and less streamlined than their more athletic cousins, the hare. They are also far more social animals, preferring to live in larger groups known as colonies.
Highly alert to potential danger, rabbits will thump their hind legs on the ground to warn others of an approaching threat. When threatened, a rabbit will instinctively dart to the nearest burrow or hiding place for safety.
Hares
Larger than rabbits, hares are easily distinguished by their longer ears and powerful hind legs, with their ears marked by distinctive black tips.
Unlike their smaller relatives, hares are typically solitary animals or live in very loose groups rather than established colonies. Exceptionally fast and agile, hares can reach speeds of up to 50 mph over short distances, making them the fastest-running wild mammal in Britain.
Treatments Employed
Prevention Is Always Better Than A Cure
Fencing really is the only long term solution. This does depend on the surrounding areas and the level of rabbit population and the ease of movement of these rabbits. It is not that complicated to adapt current fencing to make rabbit proof. We can provide a quote for rabbit fencing.
