Rabbit Control

The Desert Cottontail Rabbit is found throughout the western United States.  In areas of desert without human habitation, their numbers are controlled by many predators, including snakes, bobcats, coyotes, mountain lions, and birds of prey, as well as limits in the amount of food available.

In areas inhabited by humans, it’s an entirely different story.  Cottontails find living in rural, farming, and even some residential areas “the easy life.”  An abundance of hay fed to livestock,  grains,  fallen fruit, and plants make for an appetizing and nutritious menu.

When cottontails are well fed, they…well, they breed like rabbits! 

Cottontails:  5 litters per year, up to 12 kits in each litter.  Mature at 3 months of age. 

Black-tailed Jackrabbits (hares):  4 to 7 litters per year. Young are independent at birth. Litter size varies from 2 to 7.

Rabbits and hares can cause tremendous damage to gardens, shrubs, and young trees.  Many plants are eaten to the ground, while trees are subject to “girdling.”  (The lower part of the tree trunk’s bark is chewed off and eaten.)  As a result, the tree dies. Agricultural crops , golf courses, can suffer irreparable damage in a short period of time. 

Another concern with an overabundance of rabbits are the diseases that they may carry, several of which are transmissible to humans and may remain viable in the soil for months. The wildlife diseases Cottontail and Black-tailed rabbits can carry, and are of significance are: Hantavirus, Leptospirosis, Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCMV), Salmonella and Tularemia.  Pictured below is a Black-tailed Jackrabbit infested with ticks, which is very common in our region.  Fleas and ticks can spread from rabbits to your pets, and into your home.

We offer several solutions for rabbits causing property damage.  Call us at 760-961-5980 for more information today!