Resource Catalogue

Warren ripping and harbour destruction

How to rip etc

This article explains why baiting is necessary, how to use bait stations for protection of other animals, etc., most effective use of bait stations, etc.

Excellent explanation of life of viruses for control of rabbits

Rabbits are one of the most destructive invasive species in Australia. This video shows how to fumigate rabbit warrens following baiting and ripping to help control populations on your property. This video is Part 4 of a five-part series: Rabbit control in Victoria, Rabbit control in Victoria - baiting, Rabbit control in Victoria - ripping, Rabbit control in Victoria - fumigation, Supplementary Rabbit control options in Victoria

The aim of this report is to review the evidence of the interactions between these three pest species, their control and the impact they have on Australian native species.

About this guide This glovebox guide is part of the PestSmart Toolkit for Rabbits, produced by the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions. It provides current and general information on best practice rabbit management for land managers, pest animal officers and others involved in the management of rabbits.

Rabbits are one of the most destructive invasive species in Australia. This video highlights things you should know when considering rabbit warren ripping as part of your pest animal control activities. This video is Part 3 of a five-part series: Rabbit control in Victoria, Rabbit control in Victoria - baiting, Rabbit control in Victoria - ripping, Rabbit control in Victoria - fumigation, Supplementary Rabbit control options in Victoria

Rabbits are one of the most destructive invasive species in Australia. This video shows how to effectively add baiting to your control program. This video is Part 2 of a five-part series: Rabbit control in Victoria, Rabbit control in Victoria - baiting, Rabbit control in Victoria - ripping, Rabbit control in Victoria - fumigation, Supplementary Rabbit control options in Victoria

Rabbits are one of the most destructive invasive species in Australia. This video gives an overview of the species and the management techniques land owners can use to control them. This video is Part 1 of a five-part series: Rabbit control in Victoria, Rabbit control in Victoria - baiting, Rabbit control in Victoria - ripping, Rabbit control in Victoria - fumigation, Supplementary Rabbit control options in Victoria Thumbnail image credit: Rick Nash and the Invasive Animals CRC

The Rabbit Sweep project, led by the Bellarine Landcare Group (BLG) Rabbit Action Group, is a community-driven initiative aimed at controlling the invasive rabbit population on the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. Recognizing the extensive environmental damage caused by rabbits to native flora and fauna, the project advocates for a comprehensive, peninsula-wide strategy.​rabbit-sweep.org

Key components of the project include:​

• Community Engagement: Encouraging local residents to participate in rabbit control efforts, fostering a sense of collective responsibility.​rabbit-sweep.org

• Research and Education: Conducting studies to understand effective control methods and disseminating this knowledge through educational activities.​rabbit-sweep.org

• Collaborative Strategy Development: Bringing together experts from across Victoria to design a unified approach to rabbit management.​rabbit-sweep.org

• Implementation of a 'Rabbit-Proof' Boundary: Exploring the feasibility of establishing a barrier to prevent rabbit re-entry, inspired by successful pest eradication models on other islands.​rabbit-sweep.org

The initiative aims to restore the ecological balance of the Bellarine Peninsula by reducing rabbit-induced degradation, thereby supporting the region's biodiversity and agricultural productivity. The project commenced local implementation in 2024–2025, with plans for broader application in the future.

Detailed video showing how to use Pindone bait in a smaller property.

Rabbits in the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu have been increasing in numbers in the past five years and landholders want to learn about all control options. If done in the right way, Pindone oats is one option which can be very effective in controlling rabbits on your property, particularly in the wetter months. But like all baits, Pindone oats must be used with great care. This video explains how to bait effectively, safely and responsibly.

The first step in adaptive pest management is to define the problem and understand as much as possible about the pest. Analysis of rabbit problems is aided by data on:

• Their impact – signs of rabbit damage.
• Their distribution and abundance – where rabbits are found and, especially, where their warrens are. Warrens are crucial to rabbit breeding and therefore a key to their control. Knowing where they feed can help if baiting will be part of the control program.

The DDMRB provides technical support and advice to landholders within its operational area, which encompasses eight local government area. The board employs 15 staff members who patrol and maintain the fence weekly, utilizing vehicles and, in some rugged terrains, conducting foot patrols. ​ddmrb.org.au+8ddmrb.org.au+8ddmrb.org.au+8

In Queensland, rabbits are classified as a restricted invasive animal and are prohibited as pets. The maximum penalty for keeping rabbits in the state is $66,725. Residents are encouraged to report rabbit sightings to help contain the population and protect the environment and agricultural lands.

European rabbits were brought over to Australia in the 1800s, and they have caused great environmental damage since then. Experts have even stated European rabbits' introduction to Australia was one of the fastest spreading instances of an invasive mammal.

This article is a historical resource provided by National Geographic.

The Toowoomba Regional Council is committed to managing invasive plants and animals to protect the local environment and community. Their biosecurity efforts focus on controlling pest species, educating landholders, and ensuring compliance with the Biosecurity Act 2014.​Toowoomba Region

Key Programs and Initiatives

• Pest Animal Control: The Council assists landowners in managing pest animals such as wild dogs, foxes, and feral pigs through a '1080 baiting service' conducted four times a year, with additional support provided as needed. ​Toowoomba Region

• Rabbit Management: Control methods include destroying warrens and burrows, removing potential shelters like log piles, and utilizing biological controls such as calicivirus and myxomatosis to reduce rabbit populations. ​Toowoomba Region

• Weed Control: The Council's Conservation and Pest Management team manages weeds along approximately 11,000 km of road network and conducts inspections across the 13,000 square km region. ​Have Your Say

• Biosecurity Surveillance Program: This program monitors invasive biosecurity matter, promotes best practice management, and provides information to enhance community awareness. ​Toowoomba Region+1Toowoomba Region+1

Landholder Responsibilities

Under local laws, land occupiers are required to keep their properties free from overgrown vegetation and accumulations of materials that could harbor pests. ​

Additional Resources

For more information on pest and weed management, including specific programs and resources, visit the Toowoomba Regional Council's Pests & Weeds (Biosecurity) page.​Toowoomba Region+1

The video titled "Menace Of The Rabbit (1948)" is an archival newsreel documenting Australia's struggle with a massive rabbit infestation in the mid-20th century.

It showcases the ecological and agricultural devastation caused by the unchecked rabbit population, which led to significant crop destruction and land degradation.

The footage highlights the extensive measures taken to control the outbreak, including fencing, poisoning, and trapping, underscoring the severity of the issue and the lengths to which authorities went to mitigate the damage.​

This article is from the Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4.

Attack the rabbit at home . . .

DESTROY WARRENS AND HARBOURAGE

Effective rabbit destruction often calls for a carefully worked out control programme consisting of poisoning, fumigating and warren and harbourage destruction. Possibly the most effective means of not only controlling rabbits but ultimately eradicating them from holdings is the destruction of warrens and harbourage.

Rabbits are Australia’s most serious pest herbivore and we are legally required to control them. Only one rabbit per hectare will stop the growth and regeneration of native plants.

This page is a resource by Geelong City Council on rabbit control in the Greater Geelong region.

Pest animal and weed control has been a necessity since South Australia was colonised by Europeans in 1836. While initially the colonists’ principal concern was to establish themselves and their communities – supplies of food and water were vital – the activities of settlement required the authorities to take action to prevent specific threats posed by diseases of animals and plants, unwanted animals and plants or the actions of people.

Rabbits are often considered the main pest species, animal or plant that Australia has had to confront. Governor Arthur Phillip came to Australia with five rabbits on the First Fleet in 1788 and 16 rabbits arrived on the vessel Governor Gawler in South Australia in 1840.

This page is a resource covering the introduction of rabbits.

This is the background document to the 2016 Threat abatement plan for competition and land degradation by rabbits.

The document aims to provide information on: rabbit characteristics, biology and distribution impacts on environmental, economic, social and cultural values, and current management practices and research findings.

The report is provided by the Australian Government - Department of the Environment & Energy.

Rabbits are one of Australia's most destructive pest animals. They have a significant negative and costly impact on agriculture through overgrazing and they endanger many threatened plant species and ecological communities. NSW Environment and Heritage work to reduce their impact on native plants, animals and the environment.

This page is a resource provided by NSW Environment and Heritage.

The initial release of the myxoma virus led to a dramatic reduction of Australia’s rabbit population. Within two years of the virus’s release in 1950 Australia’s wool and meat production recovered from the rabbit onslaught to the tune of $68 million.

As predicted by CSIRO’s Francis Ratcliffe and ANU’s Frank Fenner, the impact of myxomatosis gradually declined over time as both the myxoma virus and the rabbit population changed genetically.

This page is a resource covering the history and research of Myxomatosis to control rabbits.

Video taken during Moorabool Landcare Network and the Rabbit Action Group field day to promote community based rabbit control showing how to bulldoze rabbit warrens.

8 natural ways to protect your garden. Seeing a rabbit hop through a garden, nibbling on crops is an adorable sight…unless that garden is your garden and that carrot is one you planted. Unfortunately for gardeners, rabbits happen to like lots of the same veggies we do—and even some of our non-edible plants. Here are some humane, non-toxic ways to keep rabbits away from plants in your garden.

This page is a resource by Garden Design on natural methods to control and deter rabbits.

In Victoria, feral or wild populations of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are declared as established pest animals under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (CALP Act)Under the CALP Act all landowners have a responsibility to take all reasonable steps to prevent the spread of – and as far as possible eradicate – established pest animals from their land.

Good planning is essential for maximising the effectiveness of your rabbit control program, while minimising the impact on other animals. Consider rabbit density, distribution and habitat, as this will determine what actions are appropriate.

This page is a resource by Agriculture Victoria

This long-eared animal has a ravenous appetite for every kind of fresh vegetation, be it annual plants, biennials, perennials, berries, or woody plants. Since you do not want these voracious herbivores destroying your yard, you need a lasting solution to get rid of these pests.

This blog is a resource covering different and effective ways of how to get rid of rabbits from your yard.

Regarding a good rabbit repellent/deterrent. There are many repellent products on the market but very rarely do I see real good reviews on them. So I use a very simple homemade non-toxic recipe that has proven to be quite effective, at least in my landscape and gardens. 

This blog covers an effective non-toxic repellent recipe to deter rabbits.

Poisoning with sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) is one of the most effective methods of quickly reducing rabbit numbers and is usually performed prior to harbour destruction and warren fumigation.

This page discusses how poisoning with 1080 is used to minimise the impact of the introduced European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) on agricultural production and the environment.

Although entirely eliminating a rabbit population from your property may not be possible. There are a number of things you can do to reduce their numbers through altering the habitat, barriers and repellents to keeping them out of your garden as well as getting rid of rabbits in other ways.

This page discusses how to deter rabbits with 3 strategic methods.

The herbicide Roundup can be harmful to animals. This is primarily due to exposure of the active ingredient in Roundup called glyphosate.

This post discusses how animals could suffer side effects from being in contact with the weed killer.

Rabbits can be difficult to control even when they are in small numbers, and there are very few available methods that are inherently humane. However, it is possible to improve the humaneness of a control program by ensuring that it is carried out at the most appropriate time and in accordance with best practice. 

This article provides some basic advice on how to reduce the impacts of rabbits in a semi-rural setting and outlines the most humane control methods available for small-scale rabbit control.

Domestic rabbits are common family pets but wild rabbits are quite different. Destroying your land and passing fleas on to your pets in the process, they can be a real nightmare. In the summer they’ll thoroughly enjoy your flower beds, weeds, grass, leaves, fruits, roots and shoots – perfect for a growing bunny’s appetite – and in the winter they’ll tuck into tree bark, twigs and bushes (they’re not all that fussy!).

This blog is a resource to find out how to prevent rabbits from eating plants and tips for repelling rabbits.

Got rabbits? These small mammals can do a number on young plants, so control and prevention is paramount. Aside from fencing, there are many old-time remedies and other solutions that will keep them out of the garden patch! Plus, see a list of plants that rabbits tend to ignore. 

This blog is a resource for information on how to identify and control the rabbit population in your yard.

If rabbits have demolished your ornamental or garden plants, stay tuned. We have everything you will want to know about controlling rabbits - including some more unique ways you can get rid of rabbits — and they work!

This blog is a resource on everything you want to know on how to identify and get rid of rabbits from your garden.

Although rabbits can be a real pest, it isn’t always necessary to start killing them. Prevention techniques are a far better long-term solution. Killing them is very hard work, and risky! Such an approach will often lead to a long running fight to try and control and eliminate a population of rabbits.

This blog is a resource discusses pros and cons in methods for controlling rabbits including traps, shooting, poisons and natural alternatives.

Most rabbits are cautious about trying new foods, but if it’s green then they are likely to try it! There are a wide variety of plants that are poisonous to rabbits as well as 

This blog is a resource on common plants and household items that can affect rabbits.

With a few tips and tricks, we’ll teach you how to protect your garden from animals such as rabbits and deer, as well as other invading pests.

This blog is a resource on how to protect your garden from invading pests.

Sharing both lethal and humane methods to stop rabbits from eating your plants and help you protect your yard from wild, cottontail, European rabbits, and more!

This blog is a resource from The Pest Dude on various DIY methods for controlling rabbits.

The European rabbit is one of Australia’s most widespread and destructive environmental and agricultural vertebrate pests.

This page is a resource from NSW Local Land Services.

Newsroom Investigates goes down the rabbit hole looking at the South Island region overrun with rabbits.

Introducing, keeping and supplying rabbits in Queensland is illegal and penalties apply. Limited types of permits for domestic rabbits are available from Biosecurity Queensland for research purposes, public display, magic acts, and circuses. Before a permit is granted, guidelines must be met.

Fumigation is the method you use following bating and ripping, after the burrows have been destroyed and rabbit numbers are reduced, to ensure your program is keeping rabbit numbers down.

Aluminium phosphide is the most commonly used fumigant — it comes in a tablet form and releases poisonous phosphine gas when activated by moisture.

The Victorian Rabbit Action Network (VRAN) have developed a 7 minute video about warren modification (commonly known as ripping).

On the video our VRAN Mentors, Tim Bloomfield & Brad Spear talk about the equipment used, where to use it and what you need to know before you start a program.

Pests are animals causing harm or significant disturbance in areas where they are not wanted. They often have the ability to flourish if left unmanaged in suitable environments. Physical, chemical and biological control options are available to variously cull, inhibit breeding or exclude pests from priority areas. It is rare that a single control measure will be completely successful. Even very effective biological controls require support from additional control measures.

The Rodenator is used to fill the rabbit warren with a mixture of LPG and oxygen to control rabbits and destroy the warren. The more gas/oxygen mix used the greater the blast. In sensitive sites such as around tree roots and high quality vegetation less mix is used so that there is little or no surface disturbance.

Russell Coight goes down the rabbit hole of pest control... as only Russell Coight can.

Rabbits, foxes and feral pigs pose a major threat to our environment and agricultural production.

This video series describes why pest control programs are important in Victoria and introduces you to how collaborating with neighbours and using a variety of strategic control methods can turn this threat around.

Rabbits are one of the most destructive invasive species in Australia. This video shows how to fumigate rabbit warrens following baiting and ripping to help control populations on your property. This video is Part 4 of a five-part series: Rabbit control in Victoria, Rabbit control in Victoria - baiting, Rabbit control in Victoria - ripping, Rabbit control in Victoria - fumigation, Supplementary Rabbit control options in Victoria

Rabbits, foxes and feral pigs pose a major threat to our environment and agricultural production.

This video series describes why pest control programs are important in Victoria and introduces you to how collaborating with neighbours and using a variety of strategic control methods can turn this threat around.

Rabbits, foxes and feral pigs pose a major threat to our environment and agricultural production.

This video series describes why pest control programs are important in Victoria and introduces you to how collaborating with neighbours and using a variety of strategic control methods can turn this threat around.

Rabbits, foxes and feral pigs pose a major threat to our environment and agricultural production.

This video series describes why pest control programs are important in Victoria and introduces you to how collaborating with neighbours and using a variety of strategic control methods can turn this threat around.

The Bait and poison directory for vertebrate pests in Western Australia provides a starting point for landholders, pastoralists, retailers, manufacturers and/or wholesalers who want to supply or use vertebrate baits.

This web page contains brief descriptions on how to access, use or supply bait, poison and toxin (bait) products, what training is required, animal welfare considerations and legal requirements.

In 1859 when Thomas Austin released 24 wild rabbits on his Geelong property, he could not have foreseen that they would breed so prolifically and spread across the southern parts of the continent. Each year rabbits cause an estimated $600 million worth of damage to agriculture. They also cause serious erosion problems, prevent native vegetation from regenerating, attack domestic gardens and undermine farm sheds and other buildings.

In WA European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are declared pests of agriculture under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 and as such, landholders are required to control rabbits on their properties. Even landholders not growing crops are still legally obliged to control rabbits to protect their neighbours’ land from the impact of rabbits.

This video shows how to control rabbits using warren ripping and harbour destruction. The video was produced so that woolgrowers can get the best result from the release of a strain of rabbit calicivirus new to Australia – RHDV1 K5 – in March 2017.

Following the release of RHDV1 K5 there is a need to continue with more conventional control methods, such as warren ripping and harbour destruction, which will help inhibit rabbits’ ability to re-colonise. This video is part of the Rabbit Control Video Series 2017 prepared with funding from AWI. www.wool.com/rabbits

If correctly and appropriately undertaken, the destruction of rabbit warrens, or the modification of the habitat so it becomes less favourable to rabbits, can be an important and effective part of reducing the impacts of rabbits. Although many rabbits may live and shelter above-ground (under bushes, in scrub), destruction of warrens, where they occur, can improve the overall effectiveness of rabbit control programs. If undertaken properly, the ripping of rabbit warrens can often provide a relatively permanent and long-term benefit. Similarly, removing or modifying other forms of rabbit-harbourage (for example, removing rock piles) can also help, particularly in semi-urban areas or on smallholdings.

European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are a serious invasive pest in Australia. Rabbits cause millions of dollars in damage to crops annually and, even at very low numbers, cause major impacts to the natural environment.

Once established in rural areas rabbits can cause extensive damage to crops, pastures and native vegetation and are difficult to control, requiring constant landholder action to manage. Rabbits construct burrows that enable them to survive a wide range of environmental conditions. They adapt to a wide range of food types and their ability to graze plants to ground level contributes to the enormous damage they cause. It is the legal responsibility of the land owner to control rabbits on their property, and penalties can be imposed for failing to do so under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004.

Warren destruction by ripping is used to minimise the impact of the introduced European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) on agricultural production and the environment. Other rabbit control methods include poisoning, warren destruction using explosives, warren fumigation, surface harbour removal, shooting, trapping, exclusion fencing and biological control with rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) and myxomatosis.

In many areas of Australia, rabbits depend on warrens for shelter from climatic extremes, predator avoidance and also for successful breeding. Warrens are destroyed using ripping or, in rocky or inaccessible areas, explosives. Since rabbits do not readily dig new warrens, rabbit populations do not persist in areas where warrens are effectively destroyed and re-colonisation is made less likely.

Warrens are destroyed using a tractor or bulldozer fitted with single or multiple-tined rippers. The technique used will vary depending on local conditions such as soil type, position of warrens and type of equipment available. Ripping will be more humane when the number of rabbits in the warren is low and when powerful machinery is used to achieve complete disintegration of the warren, so that the rabbits are killed quickly. Because ripping gives long term management of rabbit populations the need for repeated control operations is reduced.

This National Standard Operating Procedure (NATSOP) is a guide only; it does not replace or override the legislation that applies in the relevant state or territory jurisdiction. The NATSOP should only be used subject to the applicable legal requirements (including OH&S) operating in the relevant jurisdiction.

Many recommended methods of euthanasia for captive animals are not feasible under field conditions; however the challenges presented by field conditions should not lessen the ethical obligation of the operator to reduce pain and distress to the greatest extent possible during euthanasia.

This National Standard Operating Procedure (NATSOP) is a guide only; it does not replace or override the legislation that applies in the relevant state or territory jurisdiction. The NATSOP should only be used subject to the applicable legal requirements (including OH&S) operating in the relevant jurisdiction.

Although it can be a difficult decision to make, we as pet owners often have to make this end-of-life choice for our pets in the interest of their welfare and comfort. This decision may be made in many different situations.

UMB Animal Care and Use Program Euthanasia Guidelines: Rabbits

The SWMS Rabbit – Humane Euthanasia contains the following sections:

• Legislation & Policies
• Humane Killing
• NHMRC Methods of Humane Killing and Euthanasia
• Signs Indicative of Death
• Euthanasia by Barbiturate Overdose
• Terminal Cardiac Bleed
• Euthanasia by Terminal Cardiac Bleed with Saline/PBS Perfusion

After more than 150 years of battling this pest, Australia is now facing a fresh increase in rabbit numbers. Rabbits have been spotted in rising numbers in the Atherton tablelands in far north Queensland, and the Northern Rivers region in New South Wales.

The article covers a historical account of rabbits introduction and eradication in Australia by the ABC.