In Australia rabbits have high rates of dispersal from the warren where they were born. Understanding this can help with control programs. Young rabbits disperse to new areas throughout the breeding season. Dispersal rates peak when food becomes scarce and rabbits have to find more food.
Dispersing rabbits have been known to move 20 km or more away from their warrens, often moving from areas of high-density rabbit numbers to areas of low density. After dispersal a rabbit will take up residence in a vacant warren if one is available, or it will shelter in a surface harbour and try to become part of another social group of rabbits.
Rabbit harbour:
Rabbits dispersing from a source area will rarely find suitable long-term harbour straight away but can survive for at least a short period in typical harbour areas such as:
- around and under logs and rocks
- around and under property buildings
- in dense low-lying vegetation such as lantana
- around man-made structures such as timber
- in haysheds
This is where they begin to establish warrens but it is also where they are very vulnerable—rabbits will not breed at their maximum rate until they, or those that replace them, complete a warren.
If nothing is done to limit the activity of the rabbits at this stage, they will establish a good warren and a new source area. The new warren will then be a stepping stone for them to colonise more new areas—and the cycle will continue.
Sensible rabbit control:
A properly planned control program will prevent rabbits from becoming a recurring problem. However, before you can make any decisions about methods of control and likely costs, you need to begin your rabbit management program by finding out how many rabbits you have, where they are located and what damage they are causing. This will help you decide whether to take action, what action to take and which method of control is the most viable.
How to know if you have rabbits:
The presence of rabbits will be self-evident if you have seen them on your property, but young hares can be easily mistaken for rabbits. Careful observation will enable you to distinguish between the two species.Other signs indicating the presence of rabbits include:
- dung piles: areas that are predominately used by bucks to mark territory; a sign that rabbits are quite well established in the area; usually only formed when underground warrens are present
- active warrens: identiffable from the fresh dirt cleaned out of the entrance and absence of spider webs/debris in the hole
- scratching and soil disturbance: evidence of rabbits foraging for food (but can be confused with the similar behaviour of echidnas and possums)
- tracks: characteristic front and hind footprints of a moving rabbit
- shrubs: will have a grazing line at 40 cm .
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