Many species of rabbits and hares live throughout the Nearctic region of the world. Some of the most common species include the brush, eastern cottontail, and desert cottontail rabbits, while prevalent hares include the black-tailed and white-tailed jackrabbits. Rabbits can become nuisances to gardeners and farmers because they feed on a wide variety of crop plants. Infestations of rabbits should be seen to immediately, as the mammal reproduces quickly and populations easily get out of hand.
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Female rabbits are larger than males and jackrabbits are typically larger than cottontails. These animals range in size from 1 to 7 pounds (up to 3 kg) and grow between 12 to 21 inches (30 to 53 cm) long. Many species of rabbits have different coats during winter than they do during summer for camouflage purposes, and fur coloration can be brown and white, gray and white, brown and gray, and entirely white. All rabbits have long ears and strong hind legs suitable for hopping.
Rabbits are found in various habitats and at many different elevations throughout Canada, the United States, and some parts of Mexico. The mammals show preference for nesting in meadows, orchards, farmlands, bushes, and open forests but are also found in swamps, riverside thickets, bogs, and deserts.
Are rabbits known to enter homes or yards?
The diets of rabbits often lead them into residential areas such as lawns and gardens. As they prey on beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, peas, apples, various berries, citrus trees, plums, cilantro, parsley, flowering plants, shrubs, trees, and turf, rabbits are frequently found on farms, in lawns, and other places where human activities offer them access to vegetation. Though they do not typically enter homes unless kept as domestic pets, rabbits will burrow under porches, decks, and barns if suitable openings are present.
Do rabbits harm people or property?
Though they are not the most immediate disease-carrying threat to humans, rabbits can spread tularemia, or rabbit fever, to people who handle infected rabbits with bare hands or eat underprepared rabbit meat. Additionally, rabbits can host fleas and ticks and contribute to the spread of Lyme disease.
The bulk of rabbit destruction, however, is consequence of their feeding habits. Rabbits nibble on a number of plants and crops that would otherwise be harvested for human consumption. Depending on the size of rabbit infestations, their consumption of vegetation may remain harmless and innocuous. Where infestations become too large in size, rabbits can devastate the health of trees, plants, and turf.
Modifying yards to make them less favorable to rabbits both in terms of food and shelter is a fairly effective form of population control. Fencing in gardens, orchards, and similarly tempting landscapes is a long-term solution that proves particularly effective, though individuals must make sure fencing extends far enough into the ground to prevent rabbits from digging their way under. Holes in the foundation of sheds, barns, porches, decks, and patios should be sealed to prevent rabbits from nesting, as well.
If rabbit infestations get out of hand, landowners should call Critter Control specialists to deal with the problem. Since rabbits are wild animals who may bite or scratch when they feel threatened, approaching them without the proper training is dangerous. The professionals at Critter Control have knowledge of rabbit behavior, abundant tools, and certifications that allow them to deal with infestations humanely and safely.