Rabbits Invade Harcourt – Rabbit Control Field Day

Posted on 20 March, 2025 by Lori

In mid-February Connecting Country organised a very well patronised Rabbit Control Field Day led by Tim Bloomfield, from the Victorian Rabbit Action Network. The event was part of the Partnership against Pests Project funded by Agriculture Victoria. A big thank-you to Robyn Miller for putting together this summary of the event and photos.

Tim Bloomfield from Victorian Rabbit Action Network in the field discussing bait laying for rabbit control

The Rabbit Control Field Day was held on February 15th in Harcourt at the Heritage Centre before moving to a field site for demonstrations. Tim began by saying that rabbits ‘love’ the granitic soils which stretch in an arc from Harcourt to Maldon’s Mount Tarrengower. He described how rabbits were introduced to Australia in 1859 by Thomas Austin, who for hunting purposes imported 13 wild European rabbits which eventually spread across the entire continent.

He said, ‘Killing rabbits by shooting is easy but managing the landscape to eradicate rabbits is the difficult thing. Rabbits change the landscape and it is important to use a variety of control measures in the right sequence. These include baiting, fumigation of burrows and following up with destroying burrow systems and rabbit harbour. Rabbit proof fencing is an important but expensive tool for landowners.’

‘Rabbits need to be reduced by 85 to 95% to stop a population explosion. Two adult breeding rabbits will result in 184 rabbits in 12 months. If you don’t have effective prevention methods rabbits will fill your property after you have cleared them, as they will return to existing burrows. They can survive on low levels of protein and it only takes one to three rabbits per hectare to stop the regeneration of native species. If you set up an exclusion plot, you will be surprised by the amount of natural grasses etc that will grow if you keep rabbits out. Rabbits can spread 500 weed seeds per day which allows them to create their own habitat, for example, Box Thorn and Gorse.’

Tim recommended that neighbours in adjoining properties work together. He said, ‘By using an app called Feral Scan, burrow sites can be accurately recorded in order to make shooting effective and to locate them for the use of fumigants or poison bait.’ At the field site Tim demonstrated smoking a burrow to find the extent of the burrow and to identify the entrances.

Local earthworks contractor demonstrating rabbit warren destruction.

In deciding which chemical baits to use around burrows, the choice is between 1080 and Pindone. Pindone is toxic to native animal species but they do have some protection against 1080. However, there are limitations to using 1080, especially in urbanised areas, as there are particular risks to domestic animals like dogs. It is necessary to have a Chemical Users Certificate to purchase and use 1080 and very important that any dead animals are removed early in the morning to avoid secondary poisoning of other animals when using any baits.

‘The final step, once shooting and fumigating and or baiting has been carried out, is to rip the burrows, to prevent any survivors returning to occupy an empty burrow. Burrows can go to 850 millimetres and will not go lower than the water table. If burrows are being ripped, the ripping needs to go outside the holes by 4 meters. To make ripping cost effective, neighbours can share the cost.’

Tim was formally thanked by the Connecting Country organisers; the attendees were very impressed with Tim’s knowledge and advice and enjoyed a delicious morning tea and lunch provided as part of the course. Thanks were also extended to the property owners, who generously allowed the demonstrations to be carried out on their land.

Participants were interested to learn that Connecting Country will soon run a two-day course chemical users course, which is heavily subsidised, at Castlemaine Community House.

For more information on best practice rabbit control, visit the Victorian Rabbit Action Network (VRAN) website vran.com.au

This event was supported by funding from the Victorian Government through the Partnership Against Pests program.