[Fenland Girl]

Can anyone suggest the best way to get rid of rabbits? We had problems with them eating the veg all last summer, I had everything covered in netting but it makes it difficult to hoe etc.  We've now uncovered the entrance to their burrow under some brambles. Will they be likely to move elsewhere now the burrow is not under cover? My OH has borrowed an air rifle - can you shoot rabbits with these? Or are there other ways we could get rid of them / discourage them? Our garden backs onto arable land so I feel we're probably embarking on a losing battle but any tips would be welcome!

[WG.]

They won't move away that easily.

High speed lead is certainly the best way and an air rifle will do the job if you can get close enough.  Better is a silenced 0.22 rimfire but that does require a Firearms Certificate & cannot be fired within 50m (? Munty?) of a paved road.

[TRACKS]

You could get some one with a ferret and nets
that would get rid of them

[Lynne]

We too have a major rabbit problem at the whole site. We have put an enclosure all round our growing area after digging out any warrens. The enclosure is made with galvanised wire mesh buried about 8 inches deep and three foot high.

It costs a bit for the wire mesh, but we are the only plot without any rabbit damage (at the moment).  

[muntjac]

.22 rim cannot be used but the air rifle can .... get hold the farmer he may have a    "  chap " who takes care of the rabbits ,,, if not he can be forced to control them .go the nice way first then go the rabbit wire netting bury it in an L shape 18 inch down 18 inch at the bend to the tail of the lL   leave a 3 ft high fence with stout posts  

[Fenland Girl]

Thanks all, pretty much no easy way to deal with it then! It would cost a fortune to fence our whole plot - would prefer the rabbit pie option but since I'm not actually going to pull the trigger I will have to wait for OH to get on with it. Perhaps I can encourage some competition between the neighbours!

[washsaint]

Hi, probably already been mentioned but all my first plantings were demolished by rabbits.

Ended up using chicken wire to fence in the plot (only an inch or so deep) and  then placed stones and rocks all the way around the chicken wire.  

This did the trick - the rabbits tried, but failed, to get at my replanted crops.


Kids would never have forgiven me if I'd wasted them!