Can you gas rabbits

Burrows in or around badger setts and fox earths must not therefore be treated. The impact on other wildlife living in burrows, for example adders, may also need to be considered. Since the withdrawal of Cymag as a vertebrate control agent, the only commercially available fumigants are formulations that generate phosphine gas on contact with moisture. These are available either in tablet or pellet form. All fumigants must be approved under the Control of Pesticides Regulations and must be used according to label instructions.

Gassing should only be undertaken by persons trained in the use of aluminium phosphide, and familiar with the precautionary measures to be observed.

Fumigants can be lethal to humans and it is essential that users follow the instructions on safety aspects. The only available phosphine generating formulations are Phostoxin and Talunex. Rabbits may venture up to metres from the warren to graze, but most grazing occurs within metres of their home base.

Rabbits eat mainly low herbs and grasses but also dig for roots and bulbs — and may even climb trees for feed during drought. They are very territorial with both males bucks and females does defending their territory aggressively against other rabbits. Home territories are marked by dung piles and urine.

When seasonal conditions are sound rabbits can have five or more litters in a year — and can even manage a couple of litters in poor seasons. A breeding unit may include one to three males and over half a dozen females.

A dominant male will mate with the more dominant females, while less dominant rabbits are likely to form pairs. Rabbits selectively graze preferred species, but in hard times they will eat anything. The number of rabbits and warrens, and their distribution, should be assessed as an initial step in the development of a planned, integrated rabbit control program.

Control programs may be instigated at any time funds and resources are available, but full advantage should be taken of any low troughs in rabbit numbers, e. The following notes and links provide information on control options. Regional NRM bodies and State government agencies around Australia are also available to provide advice and possibly assistance. They may be able to help develop district-wide programs where neighbours work together, across tenures, to control rabbits - possibly coupled with feral cat and fox control as well.

It presents very useful background information, outlines a four step approach to rabbit action Assessing the problem, Planning, Control, and Monitoring , and provides guides to help with each step. Other resources include:. Destroying warrens helps to control rabbits. The best way to control rabbits long-term, in most places, is to destroy their warrens and hiding places. This means that they cannot survive the hot summers, and cannot rear their young successfully.

Rabbit populations usually take many years to recover from a thorough warren destruction program. Recovery will take even longer if the ripped warrens are regularly checked and follow-up work done when needed.

Successful warren destruction programs rely on working out the extent of the rabbit problem by surveying the area for signs of rabbits, e. This leaves a streak of dirt which is often visible for some distance. Other signs are fresh rabbit droppings, and chisel-shaped teeth marks on food plants. Before taking to the paddock with a tractor and ripper, proper planning can save time and effort. Often warrens in open country can be easily seen in aerial photographs, which can be invaluable to planning a control project.

GPS technology is an invaluable aid to planning the most efficient way to cover all warrens in an area. Warrens can be destroyed with minimal impact on vegetation. Usually the best time of year to destroy rabbit warrens is in the late summer, when rabbit numbers are already low and the soil is dry and will collapse more easily. However, it is unacceptable, and in some jurisdictions illegal, to set a dog onto a rabbit with the intention of catching or killing.

Aluminium phosphide is listed as a Schedule 7 substance, a restricted chemical product which requires special precautions in manufacture, handling, storage and use, along with individual regulations regarding labelling or availability. In some States, fumigants can only be obtained by persons with appropriate training in their use e. Fumigants must be used according to instructions on approved labels and guidelines issued by relevant State authorities for vertebrate pest control.

Phosphine is currently the preferred toxin for diffusion fumigation until more humane methods are developed. Chloropicrin trichloronitromethane is considered to be highly inhumane and its use is not recommended. It causes intense irritation of the respiratory tract and profuse watering of the eyes for a considerable period before death. Exhaust from idling internal combustion engines is also not acceptable as adequate CO concentrations cannot be achieved particularly with modern car engines and exhaust contaminants such as hydrocarbons, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxides cause severe irritation before death.

Also, the exhaust gases produced may be unacceptably hot. Animal welfare considerations Impact on target animals The toxicity of phosphine is due to inhibition of cytochrome oxidase — an enzyme essential for the use of oxygen for energy production. Inhalation of the gas causes a reduction in the activity of the central nervous system and breathing activity.

The precise nature and extent of suffering of rabbits after inhalation of phosphine is unknown. Symptoms of phosphine toxicity in humans often include nausea, abdominal pain, headache and convulsions followed by coma. It is not known whether other mammals experience similar symptoms. Time to death can be highly variable depending on the concentration of gas in the burrow. For example, at concentrations of ppm phosphine can kill rabbits in 30 minutes whereas at 25 ppm death will take 4 hours.

The time taken to reach high concentrations throughout the warren largely depends on the amount of moisture in the soil and air, or on the tablets. In low humidity, complete release of phosphine gas from the tablets may take hours or even days. Higher humidity will cause a rapid rate of diffusion and therefore result in higher concentrations of gas so that the rabbit will be exposed to a lethal dose in a shorter time and will have less chance to dig out of the burrow.

Failure to reach lethal levels of phosphine in some parts of the warren because of inadequate diffusion will result in ineffective killing but will not necessarily cause long-term suffering.

Studies in other species i. Therefore, rabbits that escape from fumigated warrens or those that are exposed to sub-lethal concentrations in deeper parts of the warren may only experience transient illness, not permanent debilitation.

Fumigation is considered to be less humane than poisoning with Therefore, it is desirable to fumigate only after a poisoning program when the density of rabbits is low. This minimises the number of rabbits that need to be killed by a less humane technique. Impact on non-target animals Fumigation of rabbit warrens is one of the most target-specific means of rabbit destruction and will have little impact on non-target species if used correctly.

Fumigation must only be used in active, occupied warrens. If a warren appears to be empty or possibly occupied by a non-target species e. There appears to be no significant risk of secondary poisoning if carcasses of gassed animals are consumed by non-target predatory or scavenger species. If using dogs to work an area prior to warren fumigation, the following should be observed: Dog handlers must be experienced and the dogs well trained i. Dogs that are deliberately bred or trained to attack without provocation must not be used.

Suitable breeds would include terriers, labradors and others that are keen to chase but unlikely to catch a rabbit. Handlers must not encourage dogs to attack and kill rabbits.

Rabbits trapped in hollow logs etc. Rabbits inadvertently caught by dogs should be killed by a shot to the brain or by cervical dislocation. Rabbits should never be left to die a slow death after being maimed. To ensure that dogs are not exposed to phosphine gas or allowed access to treated warrens, handlers must ensure that dogs are well restrained during and after fumigation.

For more details refer to GEN The care and management of dogs used for pest animal control. Health and safety considerations Operators must strictly follow the directions on the approved label when using and storing aluminium phosphide tablets. They must not be used for any other purpose than the destruction of rabbits in active warrens. Fumigation must always be carried out by two trained persons and must not be carried out in wet conditions when it is likely that the tablets will become wet before insertion in the burrows.

Phosphine is highly toxic to humans and can kill if the tablets are swallowed or the liberated gas is inhaled. Avoid contacting the skin with aluminium phosphide or breathing phosphine gas. Symptoms of overexposure to phosphine gas include headache, dizziness, nausea, and difficulty breathing.

Severe exposure may damage liver, kidneys, lungs, and nervous and circulatory systems, and may cause death. If a person is exposed to phosphine gas, get them to fresh air immediately. If they are experiencing breathing difficulties give oxygen. If they have ceased breathing, apply artificial respiration using a one-way mask, air-viva or oxy-viva. Do not give direct mouth-to-mouth resuscitation if aluminium phosphide tablets have been swallowed.

Appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn when using fumigant. This includes: overalls; eye protection e. If aluminium phosphide gets on skin, immediately wash area with soap and water.

After use and before eating drinking or smoking, wash hands, arms and face with soap and water.