Some rabbits have moved into my area and they are doing damage to our gardens. We have a plant nursery on the property and the rabbits have been snacking on the reachable plants and shrubs. We tried a Hav-A-Heart trap (very successful with squirrels), but the rabbits do not go into it. Anyone have a proven bait for the trap? I tried cabbage and other veggies, but they did not go in - even in mid-winter when food was scarce. I even tried covering the trap so it looked like a natural tunnel.

We have an electric fence to keep out deer, but the property is too large to fence off at ground level. I would also consider more extreme measures, although neither my partner nor myself are any good with guns and poison is out because of our other animals that roam the property. Has anyone come across a rabbit trap that works and will not harm other critters? Thank you.

-- diane greene (greenwitch@catskillnativenursery.com), June 11, 2001

Answers

Dear Diane, we have been catching rabbits in the Have-A-Hart but we use the next size up from the rabbit size. We ended up with this size accidently. Whether that matters or not I don't know. We put carrots in and I have also went to the extra expense to put carrots 'around' to chum them like people do fish. We have caught several rabbits this way.

At one time there were 24 rabbits around here, all starting from where the previous owners let their 2 tame rabbits loose. Now all but the original rabbits are wild, but they are so used to us they will let us get somewhat close. I will tell you a cat killed about 6 of them so in a strange way that helped. We are slowly catching them, but our electric fence does not keep them out of the garden.

I think my advice would be to start feeding them on the ground with carrots or lettuce for 'free' and lead this into the trap. Take your time and let them get used to you. Even if it takes a week, it is better than nothing. I know someone who used the same trap you and I have used and it worked for them. Maybe in the meantime you could put metal roofing around the favoured plants it has to go in the ground somewhat. I'll keep thinking on this one!

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), June 11, 2001.

Them wabbits can be weal waskals! If you use traps or poisons some will see whats going on and keep out of danger. We had a large area, 50 acres or so, absolutely infested with rabbits and serious measures were called for. My Dad bought some cans of raspbery jam, may 20 gallons or so, and every morning for a week we would go out with the tractor and scrape a shallow farrow into which I would drop dollops of jam. On the final day he mixed poison with the jam and we got a very good kill (as much as killing anything is good). The poison used was, as I recall, 'phosporised pollard' and they all died within inches of where they ate.

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), June 12, 2001.

Don't mean to offend anyone but maybe you will have to get the old 22 out after these rabbits. I usually don't have much of a problem with them but I do plant a little extra just in case a rabbit family moves it. Maybe just letting the dogs chase them and NOT catching them would give them a scare. Good Luck !!!

-- Helena Di Maio (windyacs@ptdprolog.net), June 15, 2001.

It is really hard to get the last rabbit with a 22. We have a rule of thunb that says you only see one rabbit in ten of a feral population.

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), June 16, 2001.

I throw my left over food and veggies in my neighbors yard at night -- the rabbits and skunks stay over there ! Hopefully, it will get rid of the neighbors too !

-- pepe lepew (lepew@home.com), September 05, 2001.