The acceptability and effectiveness of pellet baits for poisoning rabbits

Abstract

Experiments were done in various regions of Victoria to determine the acceptability of various types of pellet baits and to compare their efficiency with carrots and oats when used in the three common baiting methods. Commercial stock feed pellets were used and also pellets specially prepared by wet mix extrusion which contained either pollard and bran only or had one or both of molasses and glycerol added. Commercial stock feed pellets were not acceptable but the specially prepared pellets were highly acceptable. In eight furrow poisoning experiments pellets used with two free feeds and high furrow density gave kills as good as those obtained with carrots. Kills for oats tended to be lower. Low furrow density with no free feeding gave low kills. Pellets used in aerial and ground broadcast poisoning also gave very good kills. After 18 weeks the decrease in rabbits counted on the aerial baited area was still above 99 per cent.