Rabbits are small
mammals with brownish-gray body, long ears and a small white tuft of a tail that
resembles a cotton ball. There is rusty colored patch of fur on the nape of the
neck. The feet can be whitish.
Biology
Breeding
period: February-August
Gestation: 28-30 days
Birth
period: March-September
Litters
per year: 2-3
Litter
size: 2-10
Feeding
period: Night
Rabbits feed on vegetables,
weeds, wildflowers, tender twigs and live bark.
Range
Inspection
Rabbits are a
common type of nuisance wildlife in Minnesota but not as common in other areas
within Varment Guard service territory.
Customers
will usually call for removal due to damage in gardens and landscaping and
holes in the yard where they are nesting.
Rabbits seldom live inside structures.
Signs to look for are tracks in snow/dirt,
droppings, eaten garden plants/shrubs (branches cleanly nipped off at lower
levels with bark
stripped), digging under decks/bump outs, and small depressions in lawns that
can hold young.
Rabbit Nest
Rabbit Droppings
Rabbit Tracks in Snow
Control
We use live traps
to capture rabbits.
Traps
should be placed along travel paths, especially where they are passing under a
structure or through a fence.
Positive setting
with Comstock traps for pinch points is highly effective.
Commonly used baits include apples, lettuce and alfalfa.
Exclusion
can be recommended to keep rabbits from getting underneath structures. Common exclusion would be a buried wire.
Repellent
application can be used to keep them away from some vegetation.
Pro Tips
Removal
of juvenile rabbits is not recommended.
Even if they are taken to an animal rehab facility they are unlikely to
survive. They will be big enough to
leave the nest within 3-4 weeks.
A
double door trap bedded with alfalfa and another bait will increase the catch
rate.
