What can I do about my neighbour's rabbits?
"I live on a small block on the Bellarine. I have a rabbit-proof fence around my property and I close the gate. Nevertheless, the rabbits from next door burrow under the fence and dig holes in my lawn and eat by vegetables. My neighbour doesn't care. I can't remake the fence so how can I stop this situation from driving me mad?
It is obvious, probably, that engaging with the neighbour and working with them to eliminate the rabbits would be the best solution to the problem!
For a simple solution, see the story from a local: index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=114:tell-us-what-you-did-and-learnt&catid=29:allfaqs
If you have any other ideas of things this person could do, please send them to us, with a suitable explanation:
What your colleagues have offered in response
A rabbit proof fence isn’t a silver bullet for rabbit control…. In fact ( to borrow a phrase from the climate change people I do stuff with) there are no silver bullets in rabbit control, just lots of silver buckshot… so you can’t rely on just one thing to control /supress rabbits,,, but lots of little things all together!
So just having a rabbit proof fence isn’t going to solve a problem……..it needs to be checked and maintained all the time just like a farm fence…. Maintaining it is a big job and not to be underestimated.
So walk around regularly (every day) and fill in the holes under the fence preferably with something that isn’t easy to dig up, ie crushed rock.
You can put a skirt on the fence either buried into the ground or lying next to the base of the fence to stop the burrowing. You also need to make all your gates rabbit proof and keep then closed all the time effectively creating a 'Fort Knox' around your place.
Then you have to eradicate every rabbit inside your fence in a blitz-- baiting , shooting (hard on a small block), Jack Russells, whatever to get rid of the last rabbit inside the fence….the down side is by now your obsession may have developed into a personality disorder!
And you have to talk to the neighbours and try and get them on board… which isn’t always easy
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And a good answer:
"Mmmm ... it is a challenge but not insurmountable. Really ... there is no way of answering your question without actually doing a site visit.
... would you like to pass my details on to the person making the inquiry. I am guessing that this will be a common issue for urban residents in your area and for every other urban areas where rabbits are in high numbers."
and another bit of advice from an 'expert:
"Rabbit-proof fences need constant attention and maintenance in such a situation. Sections of foot-netting clipped on and pegged down easily seal where rabbits have burrowed under. Otherwise, those points are ideal for trapping or snaring rabbits as they enter the property.
However, the fact that rabbits are seeking entry so actively is a subtle warning that the protected property may not be fully cleared of rabbits. Mostly, rabbits seek entry to new territory because there are already rabbits present and they are chasing breeding partners."
and yet another (paraphrased):
Hi! Sounds as if the fence is more rabbit resistant than rabbit proof.
Here's what is needed:
- the fence height (900),
- wire hole diameter (20-40mm),
- wire thickness (1.4mm) ;
- and at the bottom, a skirt 30mm, with no gaps.
At the corners and gates are there gaps you’d get your four fingers/fist through? Does the fence encircle the whole area? How many & where are the rabbits living within the RRF area. Find all burrows and 'modify' them to stop breeding. Look for scratchings either side of the fence that may lead to the gap(s). Look especially near any plants or other obstructions close to the fence which may obscure your view of the bottom of the fence. Look at dawn/dusk along sections of the fence. Send us some pics of fence, gates, corners , etc.
If you have any ideas of things this person could do, please send them to us, with a suitable explanation: