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Typical action of rabbit controlling landholder

What a landholder might do when considering rabbits on their property. It is clear that there is not one way to work on controlling rabbits and this is just one story but it might help you identify the paths you may follow.

So here you are and you:

  • Recognise you have a rabbit problem, wherever the rabbits are coming from.
  • Meet your neighbours and come with them to a Rabbit Sweep demonstration event to see what others are doing (see details below).
  • Register your street or neighbourhood with the Rabbigt Sweep team to learn what’s happening locally that might help you.
  • Check the area to understand the state of existing and possible need for rabbit-proof fencing.
  • Check for First Nations heritage sites and for precious/rare indigenous plants.
  • Remove piles of things that provide shelter for rabbits or rabbit-proof fence the area. If you have gorse etc. consider how best to remove it or isolate it with rabbit-proof fencing.
  • Read and watch materials onlione that describe how to do the various tasks - including tips and tricks.
  • Attend any relevant demonstrations and think and talk to others about the opportunities for your property.
  • Determine the route you want to take - annual work for ever, a few years of harder work, 'gold-standard' elimination work. Remember fitting actions to size of problem, area, resources, etc means many different courses of action. Maybe read a bit more and discuss your plans with others.
  • Attend 2/3 working bees (“I Help 3 then they help me”) and earn a supported working bee for yourself.
  • Book a date for your working bee. You will get information and can borrow a pack of useful tools. You may need to apply for a team of volunteers to help you (see details below).
  • Do a ‘spot-light’ count for rabbits, on foot or by vehicle - depending on the circumstances but remember to record the results, route and date. Record carefully for better future reference (this makes it easy to make before/after comparisons).
  • Identify and survey rabbit infested area and mark entrances to burrows and GPS of burrow using RabbitScan. You may leave this until your working bee.
  • If you have identified the warrens and their entrances and the rabbits feeding spots, you should be ready to undertake a baiting program in the week before your working bee if it is to be for fumigation, ripping or implosion.  You may need to check you have learnt enough or need to attend another demonstration event. You can always hire someone as baiter (commercial or volunteer). It is important the baiting happens when the climate/weather/environment is ready. It is also important the right amount of bait is located in the most appropriate place near the warrens.
  • If you are nervous about baiting you may choose to use a bait station to isolate the bait from dogs, children, etc.
  • If you have not already done this, you may want to use your working bee to mark all the rabbit warrens in your group’s target area (including Council land) with flags (provided) for the warren entrances and RabbitScan (on your phone) for the warrens’ GPS.
  • Your Working Bee 1 - morning: (young people included) check the warrens in your area using a smoke device and flags. Block up all but one entrances to warrens with acacia paradoxa if you have some, or crumpled newspaper, and/or soil.
  • Your Working Bee 1 - afternoon: (adults only) fumigate warrens under supervision of person with Chemical Certification (volunteer or contracted expert).
  • Your Working Bee 2 - morning: Rip or dig to destroy accessible warrens. If necessary, have booked excavating contractor.
  • Your Working Bee 2 - afternoon: Continue digging / ripping / excavating (more difficult sites and Council land). Ask implosion expert to assess potential for implosion if there are difficultly-placed warrens remaining.
  • If necessary, arrange and undertake implosion with contracted expert.
  • Check the effectiveness of your work. Do a follow-up spot-light count.
  • Maintenance – commence the habit of weekly, then monthly, walking the whole area with your neighbours and assess remaining activity. Report back to the Rabbit Sweep to earn your bandicoot!

Demonstration events

These are events for those who will work with neighbours etc or who will lead teams of volunteers. The idea is to show the leaders how the tasks are undertaken, the tips and risks they should be aware of, and how to use any equipment involved. Mostly this will mean showing how to identify and to mark warren entrances with flags, using white smoke to check warren entrances, and how to register the GPS of warrens for future reference. It will include how to prepare for baiting and how best to do it in a range of potential situations. It will cover working with chem certified people to fumigate warrens and there will be a single demo of implosion for all those who have a need for this.

Initially there will be 4 dates – 1 x November, 1 x late January, 2 x February in 4 different locations – central. north, south and east Bellarine. More demonstration events may be necessary.

Volunteers

Volunteers may be experts who contribute their time and expertise or people who are willing to help but need direction. Volunteers are needed for a wide range of tasks including making sandwiches and digging holes.

Some of the tasks involved are suitable for performance by children and will help them understand where all the rabbits live. Other tasks are restricted because they involve dangerous chemicals or may cause distress. For these reasons, the tasks for volunteers will be evaluated for suitability before they are scheduled.

In some cases, work to be undertaken will be located where there are toilet and other facilities and some not – in this case volunteer groups will meet locally when such facilities exist and then travel to the worksite and back from there.

When volunteer teams do work, it is expected that there will be suitable refreshments provided for them by the benefitting landholder (they may provide these or pay for the Rabbit Sweep to do so).

A schedule of demonstrations and working bees will be available online and volunteer groups will be able to register etc online.

Landcare has insurance for all events initiated by the Rabbit Sweep and OH&S measures will be a priority at all times.