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UniversityofNebraska–LincolnExtension,InstituteofAgricultureandNaturalResources
Knowhow.Knownow.
G2019
Managing Rabbit Damage
Stephen M. Vantassel, Extension Project Coordinator, Wildlife Damage Management;
Scott E. Hygnstrom, Extension Specialist, Wildlife Damage Management; Dennis M. Ferraro, Extension Educator; and
Jeffery J. Lusk, Upland Game Program Manager, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
This NebGuide describes how to identify rabbit damage and recommends proper methods of control, such as
fencing, habitat modiication, repellents, trapping, and
shooting to reduce damage to tolerable levels.
Cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus spp.) (Figure 1) are
found in most of Nebraska.
The eastern cottontail (S.
loridanus) lives throughout
the state while the desert cottontail (S. audubonii) lives
Figure 1. Eastern cottontail rabbit
only in western Nebraska.
(Sylvilagus loridanus).
Cottontails lourish in
much of Nebraska and can very quickly multiply if weather,
habitat, or lack of predators allow (Figure 2).
35
30
25
20
15
10
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Year
Figure 2. Number of cottontails observed per 100 miles during the
annual July Rural Mail Carrier Survey.
In contrast, Nebraska’s
two species of jackrabbit
— black-tailed (Lepus californicus) (Figure 3); and
white-tailed (Lepus townsendii) — have suffered serious
population declines in recent
decades. Hunting is prohibited
Figure 3. Black-tailed jackrabbit
east of U.S. Highway 81.
(Lepus californicus).
Since cottontails and
jackrabbits may be commonly known as “rabbits,” this NebGuide will use the same term for both.
Rabbits have large incisors similar to those of squirrels,
rats, and mice. These incisors, coupled with the tendency to
gnaw, lead many to think of rabbits as rodents. Rabbits are
actually classiied as lagomorphs because they have two pairs
of upper and lower incisors, one behind the other, whereas
rodents only have one.
Rabbit Facts
Cottontails
• Breed: February through August
• Gestation period: 28 days
• Litter size: 3 to 5 young
• Young: born naked, helpless, and with eyes closed
• Young: remain in the nest up to 14 days
• Adult size: 2 to 4 pounds
• Habitat: woody and dense vegetation in rural and urban
areas
Jackrabbits
• Breed: February through August
• Gestation period: 43 days
• Litter size: 3 to 5 young
• Young: born well-furred and with eyes open
• Young: remain in the maternal nest only 1 day
• Adult size: 3 to 8 pounds
• Habitat: open rangelands or cultivated ields
Rabbits can bear two to six litters per year because females
can breed immediately after giving birth and because breeding
stimulates ovulation. Cottontail nests, called forms, are shallow,
cup-shaped depressions lined with fur. The mother places fur
over the young to help protect them. The young and their nests
remain well hidden, even in closely-mowed turf.
Avoid disturbing nests of young rabbits as the mother
will return to care for them at a safe time. If you suspect a
rabbit has been abandoned, leave it there but keep people and
domestic animals away.
Cottontails seek shelter under piles of brush, in dense
shrubs, under buildings, and in holes. When danger is spotted,
they remain motionless, trying not to be spotted. If a threat
comes too close, cottontails accelerate quickly, with large
bounds to gain distance and run a zig-zag course to escape.
Jackrabbits run away from danger in a straight line, relying on
their speed (up to 40 miles per hour) to outrun predators.
Cottontails in rural areas spend their entire lives on a few
acres; in urban areas they may not venture far from a single
backyard. Since jackrabbits reside in open rangelands, they
may need to travel several miles from their dens to areas
containing their preferred food.
Rabbits have a simple digestive system with an enlarged
caecum (appendix in human terms) used to extract nutrients
from their herbivorous diet. To get the most nourishment from
their diet, especially during winter, rabbits exhibit a behavior
known as coprophagy, or the eating of their own feces. Rabbits
produce two types of feces, a soft pellet that is re-ingested and
which results in a hard pellet that is not re-ingested.
2-12 feet
Hind feet
Front feet Tail mark
sometimes
About
2 3/4 inches
1-10 feet
Front feet
Hind feet
4 inches
Figure 4. Tracks and droppings of jackrabbit (above) and cottontail
(below).
Ecological Importance
Rabbits ill an ecological role as medium-sized herbivores
and the base of the food chain. In rural and remote areas, rabbits are prey for coyotes, bobcats, foxes, badgers, mountain
lions, eagles, and hawks.
Recreational and Economic Importance
Rabbits can cause damage any time of the year. During
spring, rabbits prefer young, growing vegetation, like tulips,
garden vegetables (carrots, peas, beans, lettuce, beets), clover
and turfgrass. In winter, rabbits gnaw through the tender bark
of young trees and shrubs to eat the green, inner bark.
Jackrabbits also can cause damage to agricultural ields
by “mowing” travel paths through crop ields and eating new
shoots. Woody plants tend to receive signiicantly more damage
from rabbits during winters with substantial snow. On open
rangelands, the greatest damage can occur during years of
drought, synchronous with high populations of jackrabbits.
Rabbits also provide recreational and economic beneits
to Nebraskans. In the 2008-2009 hunting season, an estimated
7,200 hunters harvested around 2,700 jackrabbits and 44,000
cottontails in Nebraska. About 10 percent of those purchasing
a small game license in 2008 hunted cottontails, but fewer than
1 percent hunted jackrabbits. Revenue raised through these
hunting fees alone amounted to $216,000. Others enjoy watching rabbits or following their trails in the winter snow.
Disease Signiicance
Tularemia is the most signiicant disease associated with
rabbits. Tularemia is caused by a bacteria that can be contracted
by humans through the bite of a rabbit, tick, or lea, or by
handling the carcass of an infected animal.
Tularemia symptoms in humans include fever, swollen
lymph nodes, and swelling around the bite, typically appearing
within 3 to 14 days of exposure. The infection is rarely fatal
to humans provided victims receive antibiotics quickly.
To reduce the risk of contracting tularemia, avoid direct
contact with rabbits that are found dead, emaciated, or exhibit abnormal behavior, such as lethargy, uncoordination,
and lameness. Take precautions against ectoparasites (ticks
and leas) and wear latex or vinyl gloves when handling and
butchering rabbits. Discard any rabbits with livers covered with
small white spots. Finally, in case of illness, inform medical
personnel of any contact with rabbits, because the symptoms
of tularemia are easily confused with the lu.
Rabbits infected with the Shope’s ibroma virus have leshy
inger-like growths protruding from various parts of their body.
These growths occasionally make rabbits look like they have
antlers and led early Europeans to believe that infected rabbits
were a different species. This may have given rise to the mythical
“jackalope.” Whereas rabbits aflicted with the Shope’s ibroma
virus can raise concern among onlookers, it mostly affects cottontail rabbits and is not contagious to humans.
Rabbits, like most mammals, can carry ticks infected with
other tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease. Since these
diseases typically manifest themselves with lu-like symptoms,
consider a tick-borne illness if anyone has symptoms within
three weeks of being outdoors or handling rabbits.
Signs of Rabbits and Identiication of Damage
Rabbits are active year-round, and can be active day or
night during summer or the warmer periods of the day during
winter. You can identify the presence of rabbits or damage
they cause by their tracks, droppings, and markings.
Tracks made by their hind feet are much longer than the
front feet and are placed as pairs ahead of the slightly staggered
front feet in the snow or soft earth (Figure 4). Toe prints are
indistinct because the toes are well-furred.
Tree squirrel tracks are similar but smaller, not staggered,
and often end at the base of trees. Rabbit droppings are pea-sized
individual pellets. Gnaw marks of rabbits are irregularly placed
on the trunks of trees and shrubs a few inches aboveground and
occasionally on exposed roots. Rabbits will eat young bark on
trunks and stems higher than 3 feet, especially in deep snow. A
mark left by cottontail incisors is about 1/4 to 3/8 inches wide.
Tree squirrels leave similar size marks on the upper surface of
low branches of trees. Birds tend to shred plants and leave small
pieces of the plants on the ground. Rabbits will nip pencil-sized
stems cleanly at a 45-degree angle, while deer leave a jagged
torn edge on stems of this size or larger.
Prevention and Control of Damage
The presence of rabbits does not always result in economic
damage to plants. Most 2- to 3-foot high shrubs can survive
having most of the 1- and 2-year-old twigs removed. However, the desirable bud, lower, or fruit development may be
impaired. The key to effective and economical rabbit control
is being able to predict and intercept damage with methods
that are relative to the predicted loss in value.
Exclusion
A 1-inch mesh fence of poultry netting (chicken wire)
works well to protect gardens and perennial lower beds from
rabbit damage. Bury the bottom edge of the fence about 4 inches
below the ground to prevent rabbits, particularly jackrabbits,
from digging under it. The buried portion should be lared
outward from the protected area to better prevent digging.
Install a 2-foot high fence to protect against cottontails
and a 3-foot high fence against jackrabbits. Consider building
the fence higher to exclude rabbits when snow cover is high
or predicted to be high. A 2-foot high fence made of poultry
netting (galvanized after the weave or weld will last longer)
and 4-foot, 3/8-inch iberglass fence rods spaced 3 feet apart
can protect a 25- x 50-foot garden space for as little as $168.37
at 2010 prices ($1.13 per linear foot).
Reduce the cost by purchasing non-galvanized chicken
wire and wood posts. Extend fence life by removing it each
fall and storing it out of the weather. Plastic poultry netting is
available in neutral colors but it is more expensive than wire
mesh and can sustain damage from gnawing.
To exclude rabbits from an entire backyard, fences can be
easily installed as additions to existing structures (Figure 5).
Perimeter fences of welded wire mesh of 1-inch x 2-inch or
1-inch (hardware cloth, hail screen) excludes young rabbits,
but a 2- x 3-inch mesh or chain link fence will exclude adults
provided the fencing is anchored properly.
For small lower beds, construct a lightweight frame of
rose and lily families are preferred. Nebraska horticulturists
and others have compiled the following partial list of species
most often eaten by rabbits:
Most Often Eaten:
Figure 5. A rabbit fence added to an existing fence.
iberglass or metal rods at the anticipated height of the lower
blossoms and shape plastic mesh netting over it. Use plastic
mesh colors that blend into the background environment.
Nurseries, tree farms, and other large areas, can be
protected with a double-strand electric fence or electriied
plastic-net fence. Place electric wires at 3 to 4 inches and at
8 to 12 inches above the ground. Consult local regulations
before installing electric fences.
To protect individual
trees, place cylinders of
black plastic drain tile, cut
to length and slit down one
side, around the trunks.
18-20”
Poultry netting supported
by stakes can be placed
around the trunks of young
trees and shrubs. (Figure
6). Shrub stems growing
2-3”
through the netting will
become susceptible to dam- Figure 6 A cylinder of hardware
age by rabbits.
cloth or other wire mesh
Secure spaces under
can protect trees from
rabbit damage.
sheds and decks with 1/4
inch wire mesh to prevent rabbits from using the space for
shelter. Instructions on proper exclusion techniques can be
found at the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management’s website: http://ICWDM.org. When properly done, the
exclusion will also prevent skunks from taking up residence.
Habitat Modiication and Plant Selection
Reduce harborage for rabbits by removing brush piles and
tall weeds, particularly those located near new windbreaks.
Mow or spray to remove vegetation within 3 to 4 feet of recently planted trees and shrubs. Some trees and shrubs may
need protection for as long as 10 years before they become
mature enough to discourage rabbit feeding. Conversely, to
guard against jackrabbit damage, you should encourage taller
and denser vegetation.
We do not recommend supplying alternate foods for rabbits
to reduce damage to desirable plants. In rare cases, feeding
rabbits to save highly-valued plants may be a short-term solution until other control methods are implemented.
Rabbits are selective in their plant preferences and will
inexplicably switch to other food sources. Supplementing
with other food, such as clover and alfalfa, may attract more
rabbits and lead to further damage.
Although rabbits eat most plants, especially when food is
in short supply, some seem to be preferred. Trees and shrubs
are at particular risk when they are young and their bark is
thin. Among herbaceous plants, preferred species within the
Annuals and Perennials
Aster
Conelower
Hosta
Hybrid lily—Asiatic, Oriental
Impatiens—young lowers on young plants
Pansy
Phlox
Rudbeckia
Tulip
Shrubs and Young Trees
Acer spp. (maples)
Amelanchier spp. (serviceberry, juneberry)
Aronia spp. (black chokeberry, red chokeberry)
Carpinus spp. (ironwood)
Cornus spp. (dogwood)
Euonymus spp. (burning bush, wahoo)
Gleditsia spp. (honeylocust)
Hydrangea quercifolia (oakleaf hydrangea)
Tilia spp. (linden)
Malus spp., (apples, lowering crabapples)
Rubus spp. (raspberries and related brambles)
Sorbus spp. (mountain ash)
Spiraea spp. (spirea)
Pinus strobus, (Eastern white pine)
Populus spp. (willow, poplar, cottowood)
Prunus spp. (plum, cherry, almond, peach)
Rhus spp. (sumac)
Rosa spp. (rose)
Quercus spp. (oaks)
Taxodium distichum, (baldcypress)
Plants with strong aromas and/or dense hair are typically
avoided by rabbits. Some tree species rarely damaged by rabbits include black walnut, juniper, spruce, and ir. Be aware
that you cannot depend on rabbit-resistant plants if winter
conditions are severe and food sources are limited.
Frightening Devices
Scarecrows, owl or snake efigies, spinning aluminum
pie pans, and glass jars of water have been used to frighten
rabbits. Commercial, water-driven scarecrows with motion
detectors which spray water when movement occurs near
them are available. Dogs conined by fences, tethers, or long
leashes may help frighten rabbits away. In general, frightening devices may be limited in range to a few feet and provide
short-lived protection because rabbits become used to them.
Repellents
Most rabbit repellents aren’t registered for use on plants
destined for human consumption. Repellents fall into two
categories: taste and odor.
Taste repellents attempt to make the plant less palatable for
rabbits and are typically applied directly to the plant. Examples
are those containing capsaicin or hot pepper extract (Deer-offTM,
Get AwayTM, ScootTM, ShotgunTM). Their effectiveness tends to
be short-lived and requires reapplication after sprinkler irrigation, rain, or new growth occurs. The duration and effectiveness
of some repellents can be extended by mixing them with an
anti-transpirant, such as VaporGuardTM or WiltprufTM.
Odor repellents keep rabbits away from an area by fear
or foul smell. A wide variety of active ingredients are used,
including: ammonium or potassium salts of soaps (M-pedeTM;
RoPelTM), eggs (DeFence®), thiram (SpotreteTM), zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate (Earl May® Rabbit Scat), predator
urine (Shake-AwayTM), or garlic (Sweeny’s® Deer & Rabbit
Repellent ). They are typically applied to soil in the perimeter
area and/or on plant foliage to repel rabbits.
Some odor and taste repellents contain more than one
active ingredient. Check the label for proper application rate,
method, and site before applying any repellent.
Naphthalene is another ingredient of commercial repellents (Dr. T’sTM, Enoz SkatTM) but the alternative chemical,
paradichlorobenzene, is illegal for use outdoors. Some concern exists over napthalene product’s safety. Evidence for the
effectiveness of hanging bars of Irish SpringTM or DialTM soaps
is weak. Any repellent’s value can be effectively reduced by
wind, water, plant growth, and animal pressure. Even the best
repellents must be reapplied according to label directions.
Because daffodils are poisonous to rabbits, plant them in
place of tulips to ensure reliable, spring-blooming bulbs.
Toxicants
No toxicants are registered for rabbits in Nebraska.
Trapping or Shooting
Both trapping and shooting can temporarily reduce local rabbit populations. Reducing rabbit numbers in fall may,
in turn, reduce winter damage to trees and shrubs. Trapping
generally takes more time and removes fewer animals than
shooting, and is generally not effective for jackrabbits.
Many types of cage traps are available for cottontails,
including single-door and double-door styles. Select traps
that have at least a 7-inch-tall door.
Trapping is most effective during the winter and early
spring when food is scarce. Good cold-weather baits include
cabbage, ear corn, dried apples, and dried alfalfa or clover.
Warm weather baits include carrots, lettuce, apples, and fresh
lowers such as pansies or tulips. Replace with fresh baits and
check traps daily.
Always place traps in sheltered areas and cover half of their
length with heavy canvas or cloth to guard the captured animal
against the elements, predators, and domestic animals. Wear
gloves whenever using traps to reduce the risk of injury.
Consider placing boards or 1-foot high fences alongside
traps to help funnel rabbits into the doors. Approach a trapped
rabbit slowly and quietly to keep it from injuring itself. Translocation of rabbits beyond 100 yards is illegal in Nebraska.
Visit the Wildlife Damage website, ICWDM.org, for information on how to humanly euthanize rabbits. Municipalities may
further restrict the use of traps within city limits, so consult
local law enforcement prior to trapping.
In general, release rabbits safely in areas with suitable habitat
and where they are not likely to cause future problems. Since
skunks may be captured in these traps, consult ICWDM.org for
tips on handling skunk captures before trapping is initiated.
Cottontails and jackrabbits are hunted in Nebraska. Consult
the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for more information.
Nebraska code allows removal of rabbits, within municipalities,
causing damage to personal property during hunting season.
Outside of regular hunting season, or in municipalities where
the use of traps is restricted or prohibited, an individual with a
Wildlife Damage Control Permit or local animal control authorities must be employed to trap, shoot, remove and/or euthanize
cottontails. Firearms, including air riles, cannot be discharged
legally within most municipalities. Consult local ordinances
before trapping or shooting rabbits.
When rabbits threaten agriculture, the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission (NGPC) may grant permission to cage-trap
and or shoot rabbits outside of the hunting season, but only if
other methods, such as exclusion, have been tried and have
failed. Consult with NGPC, check their website at http://www.
outdoornebraska.org or municipal oficials for details.
A Nebraska hunting permit can be obtained online from
the NGPC website, NGPC ofices, and many retail locations
throughout the state. Wildlife Damage Control Permits are
provided through NGPC district ofices.
Integrated Pest Management
A combination of methods usually best controls rabbit
damage and the methods selected depend on the situation. For
a windbreak in a rural area, the best combination of methods
may be to plant older, less-browsed species of trees, to add
a different species each year, and then apply a commercial
repellent with a spreader-sticker. A spreader-sticker is a product
added to the repellent to increase duration and effectiveness
of the repellent. Anti-transpirants (mentioned earlier) are
excellent spreader-stickers. Ivory Liquid™ (add 1 teaspoon
per gallon of mixed repellent) also acts as a spreader-sticker.
Apply repellents several times during the winter during the
irst few years of tree growth.
For the gardener, the best approach may be to build a rabbitproof fence to guard young sprouting plants. For perennial
lower beds, the best approach may be to use motion-activated
water sprays or a vigilant dog to scare rabbits. Homeowners
might also resort to a low, aesthetic plastic-mesh fence as
lower blossoms emerge.
For young trees and shrubs in a backyard, methods of control include low fences around clusters of plants, individual tree
guards, or tree guards incorporated with chemical repellents.
Acknowledgments
This NebGuide is a revision of one co-authored by Dallas
R. Virchow.
This publication has been peer reviewed.
Disclaimer
Reference to commercial products or trade names
is made with the understanding that no discrimination is
intended of those not mentioned and no endorsement by
University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension is implied for
those mentioned.
UNL Extension publications are available online
at http://extension.unl.edu/publications.
Index: Wildlife Management
Animal Damage Control
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© 2010, The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska on behalf of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension. All rights reserved.
Issued May 2010