Get Rid of Rabbits
Prices from £170 +VAT
To get rid of rabbits from your home or business premises call 0800 026 0308
How much does it cost to get rid of rabbits?
Gassing treatment for up to 25 holes from £250 +VAT
Cage trapping for x4 visits (including setup and pick up) from £240 +VAT
Dusk or night shoot from £170 +VAT
Guarantee
Rabbit treatments cannot be guaranteed although gassing will reduce the rabbit population of a warren by 50 to 70% at the time.
- The warren will be liable to reoccupation as rabbits move from one area to another.
Rabbits cause damage to lawns & plants by eating & scratching. They carry fleas and can transmit diseases to domestic rabbits.
Landowners are obliged by law to control rabbits on their land. An Order was made under Section One of the Pests Act 1954 by which England and Wales (except for the City of London, the Isles of Scilly and Skokholm Island) were declared a Rabbit Clearance Area. In this area, every occupier of land is responsible for destroying wild rabbits on his/her land or for taking steps to prevent them causing damage. This is a continuing obligation.
Preparation you must undertake prior to treatment
- Clear vegetation around the holes so they’re easier to locate.
- Mark the holes with bamboo canes to guide the technician.
Aftercare
- Keep vegetation short around the holes to reduce cover.
- Put up fencing to enclose an area to keep it rabbit-free.
For gassing treatment
- Don’t disturb the holes for at least 24-hours after treatment.
- Keep dogs and other pets away from the holes for at least 24-hours after treatment.
How our treatment works
Our technician will discuss which treatment will be most effective for your situation.
Gassing
A pellet of aluminum phosphide gives off phosphine gas when it reacts with moisture in the soil. It isn’t suitable for use in dry conditions and is most effective in the winter months as the rabbits often don’t used their burrows in Spring, Sumer and early Autumn.
Trapping
Our technician will use live catch cage traps however these can only be used if you are able to check them daily which is a legal requirement. You must call the office when a rabbit is caught and a technician will come to remove it. Trapping is preferred when gassing isn’t an option or when rabbits use a garden or field to feed but don’t actually live there. Trapping can be carried out during the summer when gassing can’t be used.
Shooting
If shooting is possible, this is carried out at dusk or early in the morning.
Facts about rabbits
Rabbits live for up to 9-years. They are smaller and less gangly than hares, and have shorter ears. They grow to have a head-body length of 30 to 40 cm and weigh 1.2 to 2kg. Their body fur is brown grey, with brown tips on their ears and the upper surface of their tail is dark brown. The characteristic white flash on the underside of the tail can be seen when the animal is fleeing.
They live on heath land, open meadow, grassland, woodland, the fringes of agricultural land and dry sandy soil, including sand dunes, but they avoid coniferous forests. They eat the leaves of a wide range of vegetation including agricultural crops, cereals, young trees and cabbages. In winter, they eat grasses, bulbs and bark. They re-ingest their faeces for nutritional benefit.
Rabbits have a burrow system known as a warren with tunnels 1 to 2m long. The nest at the end of the tunnel is lined with grass, moss and belly fur. They use regular trails, which they scent mark with faecal pellets. They damage crops and grassland by digging shallow holes to get at roots as well as eating the grass and crops. They will also destroy many garden plants and small trees.
Rabbits mate year-round although most litters are born between February and August. Litters range in size between 3 and 12, after a gestation period of 28 to 33-days, and the kittens are weaned after 28-days. Rabbits become sexually mature after just 4-months and breed rapidly, so they can readily replace themselves.
Due to this rapid breeding potential rabbit complete eradication is impossible so employing an effective method of control is most practical e.g. fencing areas and then eliminating the population in the fenced areas.
In the 1950s the myxomatosis virus was introduced into the rabbit population which put a temporary reduction on the rabbit population. However rabbits are becoming immune to the virus and the rabbit population has increased exponentially in the past 25-years.