Pesky pests on notice
Warrens to be targeted in blitz
RABBITS of the Toowoomba region, your days are numbered.
Field officers are door knocking more than 1800 homes in the Highfields area to determine the abundance of the declared pest, looking for warrens and breeding hotspots ahead of a major control effort.
Queensland Murray-Darling Committee regional coordinator for land and water Vanessa Macdonald said autumn was the ideal time to tackle the rabbit population.
“With favourable climatic conditions, a recent outbreak of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHDV2) and the release of the K5 virus each impacting on rabbit numbers, now is the ideal time to add another layer to control efforts by way of mechanical warren ripping,” Ms Macdonald said.
“We’re in the process of surveying rabbit breeding places on more than 1800 properties on private and public land in the Highfields area. This will enable us to map entries to underground warrens or harbours such as under sheds or rubbish piles and the level of rabbit activity.
“So far we’ve completed over 1000 surveys and have been finding slightly fewer warrens than we anticipated which is a good starting point for us.”
Research by QMDC has revealed the most effective approach to managing rabbits is to remove their breeding grounds (by mechanical means), effectively taking out the source of the population.
Should any breeding places be identified on a property, QMDC will work in consultation with the owner to conduct control work and prevent rabbits from recovering and returning to historically high and destructive levels.
The activity is part of a joint project where Queensland Murray-Darling Committee officers have teamed up with the Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC), the Darling Downs-Moreton Rabbit Board (DDMRB) and Biosecurity Queensland to reduce the rabbit population in the areas of Highfields, Cabarlah, Hampton, Crows Nest and Yarraman.
Rabbits are a declared pest in Queensland inflicting significant damage to the landscape, the environment, domestic gardens and agricultural production. A large warren complex may house 100 rabbits.