Eastern cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus, damage management and control information. Scott R. Craven. Extension Wildlife Specialist Department of Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin, Madison Madison, Wisconsin 5. Additional Cottontail Rabbit Information. Fig. Eastern cottontail rabbit, Sylvilagus floridanus. Rabbits mean different things to different people. For hunters, the cottontail rabbit is an abundant, sporting, and tasty game animal. However, vegetable and flower gardeners, farmers, and homeowners who are suffering damage may have very little to say in favor of cottontails. They can do considerable damage to flowers, vegetables, trees, and shrubs any time of the year and in places ranging from suburban yards to rural fields and tree plantations. Control is often necessary to reduce damage, but complete extermination is not necessary, desirable, or even possible. Rabbits usually can be accepted as interesting additions to the backyard or rural landscape if control techniques are applied correctly. Join the Boden grapevine and be first to hear about news, offers, sales and silly stuff. Cleaning and Disinfecting. I do not believe that kids should live in sterile environments. We’re starting to hear that American children do not have enough contact with soil to develop healthy immune. Find women's coats at ShopStyle UK. Shop the latest collection of women's coats from the most popular stores - all in one place. In a tradition that started with Br'er Rabbit and continues to this day, folks around Eatonton enjoy many a good tale. From the fisherman telling the story of 'the one that got away' to a golfer stretching the truth about the. Under some unusual circumstances, control of damage may be difficult. Damage control methods include removal by live trapping or hunting, exclusion, and chemical repellents. In general, no toxicants or fumigants are registered for rabbit control; however, state regulations may vary. Frightening devices may provide a sense of security for the property owner, but they rarely diminish rabbit damage. All nine are similar in general appearance and behavior, but differ in size, range, and habitat. Such differences result in a wide variation of damage problems, or lack of problems. Most species prefer open, brushy, or cultivated areas but some frequent marshes, swamps, or deserts. The swamp rabbit and the marsh rabbit (S. The eastern cottontail (S. For the purposes of the discussion here about damage control and biology, the eastern cottontail (Fig. Cottontail rabbits must be distinguished from jackrabbits and other hares, which are generally larger in size and have longer ears. Jackrabbits are discussed in another chapter of this book. Males and females are basically the same size and color. Cottontails appear gray or brownish gray in the field. Closer examination reveals a grizzled blend of white, gray, brown, and black guard hairs over a soft grayish or brownish underfur, with a characteristic rusty brown spot on the nape of the neck. Rabbits molt twice each year, but remain the same general color. They have large ears, though smaller than those of jackrabbits, and the hind feet are much larger than the forefeet. Find and save ideas about Japanese Patchwork on Pinterest, the world's catalogue of ideas. Browse for local farm products below. Search by farm name and use the search tools to find what's fresh, local and in season from farms throughout Washington State. Rabbit Jargon (Excerpt from my book 'The Wonderful World of Pet Rabbits' – plus a couple of extras) So you can decipher what rabbit fanciers and rabbit show judges are talking about, the following is a list of. A 5 Star humane rabbit trap By Anonymous 5 22nd April 2010. If bunnies are causing havoc in your garden,this is the ideal way of getting rid of them.An easy constuction to set One fine morning, Brer Fox decided to plant him a patch of goober peas. He set to with a will and before you know it, he had raked and hoed out a beautiful patch of ground and. The tail is short and white on the undersurface, and its similarity to a cotton ball resulted in the rabbit. It extends from southern New England along the Canadian border west to eastern Montana and south into Mexico and South America (Fig. The most common species of the western United States include the desert cottontail (S. S. Refer to a field guide or suggested readings if other species of the genus Sylvilagus are of interest. They tend to concentrate in favorable habitat such as brushy fence rows or field edges, gullies filled with debris, brush piles, or landscaped backyards where food and cover are suitable. They are rarely found in dense forests or open grasslands, but fallow crop fields, such as those in the Conservation Reserve Program, may provide suitable habitat. Occasionally they may. Lack of food or cover is usually the motivation for a rabbit to relocate. In suburban areas, rabbits are numerous and mobile enough to fill any . Population density varies with habitat quality, but one rabbit per acre is a reasonable average. Cottontails use natural cavities or burrows excavated by woodchucks or other animals. Brush piles and other areas of cover are often adequate alternatives to burrows. It gives the rabbit some protection from weather, but is largely used for concealment. In summer, lush green growth provides both food and shelter, so there is little need for a form. Cottontails can raise as many as 6 litters in a year. Typically, there are 2 to 3 litters per year in northern parts of the cottontail range and up to 5 to 6 in southern areas. In the north (Wisconsin), first litters are born as early as late March or April. In the south (Texas), litters may be born year- round. Litter size also varies with latitude; rabbits produce 5 to 6 young per litter in the north, 2 to 3 in the south. The rabbit's gestation period is only 2. Rabbits give birth in a shallow nest depression in the ground. Young cottontails are born nearly furless with their eyes closed. Their eyes open in 7 to 8 days, and they leave the nest in 2 to 3 weeks. Fortunately, this potential is rarely reached. Weather, disease, predators, encounters with cars and hunters, and other mortality factors combine to keep a lid on the rabbit population. Control measures are most effective when used against the breeding population during the winter. Habitat modification and exclusion techniques provide long- term, nonlethal control. Rabbits eat flowers and vegetables in spring and summer. In fall and winter, they damage and kill valuable woody plants. The one most commonly damaged is the tulip; they especially like the first shoots that appear in early spring. Anyone who has had a row of peas, beans, or beets pruned to ground level knows how rabbits like these plants. Only a few crops- corn, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, and some peppers- seem to be immune from rabbit problems. In winter in northern states, when the ground is covered with snow for long periods, rabbits often severely damage expensive home landscape plants, orchards, forest plantations, and park trees and shrubs. Some young plants are clipped off at snow height, and large trees and shrubs may be completely girdled. When the latter happens, only sprouting from beneath the damage or a delicate bridge graft around the damage will save the plant. In general, cottontails seem to prefer plants of the rose family. Apple trees, black and red raspberries, and blackberries are the most frequently damaged food- producing woody plants, although cherry, plum, and nut trees are also damaged. Sumac, rose, Japanese barberry, dogwood, and some woody members of the pea family are among the shrubs damaged. Evergreens seem to be more susceptible to rabbit damage in some areas than in others. Young trees may be clipped off, and older trees may be deformed or killed. Most young trees have smooth, thin bark with green food material just beneath it. Such bark provides an easy- to- get food source for rabbits. The thick, rough bark of older trees often discourages gnawing. Even on the same plant, rabbits avoid the rough bark but girdle the young sprouts that have smooth bark. Distinctive round droppings in the immediate area are a good sign of their presence too. For example, marsh rabbits have been implicated in sugarcane damage in Florida. Growers should always be alert to the potential problems caused by locally high rabbit populations. Some state regulations may grant exceptions to property owners, allowing them to trap or shoot rabbits outside the normal hunting season on their own property. It does not have to be tall or especially sturdy. A fence of 2- foot (6. Be sure the mesh is 1 inch. A more substantial fence of welded wire, chain link, or hog wire will keep rabbits, pets, and children out of the garden and can be used to trellis vine crops. The lower 1 1/2 to 2 feet (4. A fence may seem costly, but with proper care it will last many years and provide relief from the constant aggravation of rabbit damage. Inexpensive chicken wire can be replaced every few years. The cylinders should extend higher than a rabbit. Larger mesh sizes, 1/2- to 3/4- inch (1. Commercial tree guards or tree wrap are another alternative. Several types of paper wrap are available, but they are designed for protection from sun or other damage. Check with your local garden center for advice. When rabbits are abundant and food is in short supply, only hardware cloth will guarantee protection. Small mesh (1/4- inch . Although frequently overlooked, removing brush piles, weed patches, dumps, stone piles, and other debris where rabbits live and hide can be an excellent way to manage rabbits. It is especially effective in suburban areas where fewer suitable habitats are likely to be available. Vegetation control along ditch banks or fence rows will eliminate rabbit habitat in agricultural settings but is likely to have detrimental effects on other species such as pheasants. Always weigh the consequences before carrying out any form of habitat management. Always follow exactly the directions for application on the container. Remember that some repellents are poisonous and require safe storage and use. For best results, use repellents and other damage control methods at the first sign of damage. Many commercially available repellents contain the fungicide thiram and can be purchased in a ready- to- use form (see. Supplies and Materials). Most repellents are not designed to be used on plants or plant parts destined for human consumption. Most rabbit repellents are contact or taste repellents that render the treated plant parts distasteful. Mothballs are an example of an area or odor repellent that repels by creating a noxious odor around the plants to be protected. Taste repellents protect only the parts of the plant they contact; new growth that emerges after application is not protected. Heavy rains may necessitate reapplication of some repellents. Place these substances among the plants. Blood meal does not weather well, however. The degree of efficacy, however, is highly variable, depending on the behavior and number of rabbits, and alternative foods available. When rabbits are abundant and hungry, use other control techniques along with chemical repellents. Poisoning rabbits is not recommended. Since state pesticide registrations vary, check with your local Cooperative Extension Service or USDA- APHIS- Wildlife Services office for information on repellents or other new products available for use in your area.
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