Rabbit Gassing & Wasps

In Pests, Pests in July, Pests in June, Pests in May, Pests in Spring, Pests in Summer, Wasps

Rabbit Gassing & Wasps:
Yesterday we did a quote for Rabbit Gassing. Fifteen years ago a high percentage of our time in the Winter and Spring was spent gassing rabbits. Not any more this work has become quite rare. I don’t really understand this, there seem to be as may rabbits around although this does vary from year to year. From our point of view the method of gassing has changed. Cymbal (which is a powder that releases Cyanide gas when it comes into contact with moisture) was passed for use for gassing rabbits. There were two methods of application, either to put a spoon of Cymbal into the burrow and then block the burrow up or blown down by a machine or hand pump. At PEST UK (or Berkshire and Basingstoke Pest Control as we were known then) we tried all methods. By far the most effective was Cymag applied with the motorised gasser. Between 90% and 100% of the rabbits in the warrens were killed after one application. Spooning Cymag only killed between 60% and 80%.

Unfortunately (or fortunately for rabbits), Cymag is no longer available for use. The only way gassing is allowed now is by Talunex or Phostoxin pellets. Pellets are considered safer as spillages and contamination of air is less likely. The problem is is that although this method of rabbit control far exceeds other messages such as ferreting or shooting, gassing with Phostoxin and Talunex is not as effective as gassing was with Cymag.

One of the drawbacks of gassing using a motorised pump when carried out in the Autumn was wasp nests. I have been stung several times while gassing this way. The problem is the noise makes hearing any buzzing impossible and blocking up the entrance to a wasp nest makes them angry (this happens if the nest is situated in the rabbit burrow).