THE RABBIT PEST

Shannon News, 24 December 1925, Page 2

THE RABBIT PEST

-VALUE OF FUMIGATING. TRAPPING INEFFECTIVE. It lias always been a moot question with shoepowners whether rab-bit-trapping: is of any real value in dealing with the pest, and the majority have, found from experience that rabbits breed up quickly after the trappers, having worked out a district,, move on to fresh quarters. The chief inspector of the West Australian Department of Agriculture (Mr. C.. J. Craig), who has made a close study of the rabbit problem, declares that the trapper is an abettor, and not a destroyer, of the pest, which has done so much to reduce the sheep-carrying capacity of Austraia. Mr. Craig says that experience has convinced most people who have studied the question that rabbit-trap-ping as a means of eradicating the pest is not only non-effective, but harmful. The result of trapping is, he says, similar to that obtained from priming a fruit tree; it eventually increases production. One morning's 'work with the tamigator would be more effective than months of trapy ping, especially in the winter. Tli* explanation of this is that trapping catches the males, while poisoning and fumigation kills the females. He claims that wherever the sexes of rabbits secured by trappers are investigated, it is found that 80 or 90 per cent, are males. Conversely, where poisoning operations are effectively carried out on land that has been recently trapped, the poisoned rabbits are found to be nearly all does, in a recent article in the journal of the West Australian Department of Agriculture, Mr. Craig quotes instances welie the poisoning of rabbits was undertaken on land which skilled trappers had just left. Out of 2,000 rabbits poisoned 22 were found to be males. In another case, out of 995 adult rabbits 895 were females. In further instances of potseuing on trapped land, 85 per cent, of the rabbits killed were does. Such results are convincing, not only that poisoning and fumigating are the most effective methods, but that trapping as an industry is more likely ■ to perpetuate than decrease the pest, j In explanation of the above theory | it is claimed that when the male s ex- j coeded the females in number they killed any young ones that happened to be born; that when they largely exceeded the females they rendered them sterile ,and that eventually both does and males would die off, resulting in complete extermination. Although this scheme is scientifically correct and based upon very sound -reason, it was never put to a tnor- . oughly convincing test upon a largo , scale. Its success would necessarily depend upon' complete isolation, so . that fresh does could not be intro- . duccd from adjoining country through 1 neglect of neighbours or from the c breeding grounds of neglected Gov- i eminent lands. If the creation or a i polygamous state among rabbits will lead to their extinction it would prove a simple solution. In tests ttmt have been made the difficulty has been to confine the rabbits to deiinite areas, and to create the polygamous state fe necessary for the success of the jj scheme. j F