Anticoagulant pindone push for rabbit control

Lana Best
By Lana Best
Tasmanian Country
21 Feb 2025
Brown hare

PEST controllers are being encouraged to use anticoagulant pindone to assist landowners with the control of burgeoning rabbit populations across the state.

Pindone has been used to control rabbits in Australia since the 1980s although biological control, through the regular release of calicivirus, has become the preferred method.

With landowners reporting skyrocketing numbers of rabbits, waiting until the optimum time to release calicivirus in autumn will not help the situation short-term.

Primary Industries Minister Jane Howlett said that controlling rabbits was a challenge statewide and pest controllers wanting to add rabbit control to their commercial offerings could apply for a five-year Agricultural Spraying Permit to apply the poison.

She said that NRE was well advanced in its planning and hoped to start calicivirus releases in early March subject to environmental conditions.

If released now it could infect naturally-immune rabbits less than 12 weeks old, which risked boosting immunity within rabbit populations longer-term.

“Calicivirus is just one control technique available and there are others in the interim,” she said. 

“An integrated pest management approach is the most effective and cost-efficient method of containing wild rabbits on your property.

“It requires the use of more than one control technique in rapid succession.

“The best time to do this is in late summer and early autumn when breeding has generally stopped because the grass they feed on has dried off.

Recommended control options are: 

• warren ripping and removal of harbours such as log heaps and blackberry bushes; 

• fencing; 

• poisoning, such as use of pindone; and 

• shooting.

 Meanwhile TasFarmers has stepped up its push for farmers to be allowed to use sound suppressors, known to most as silencers, to improve pest control and crop protection.

TasFarmers president Ian Saul said the farming body acknowledged the community’s concerns about access to suppressors and the need to control their use, however, with a regulated commercial model and the right controls in place, he believes suppressors would serve as a valuable tool for producers rather than a widely available piece of equipment available to just anyone.

He also believes now could be the right time to release calicivirus.

 “A coordinated, science-backed approach that includes virus releases, modern shooting techniques and adequate resourcing will be essential to protecting both livelihoods and meeting the industry’s goal to increase the annual value of the agriculture sector to $10 billion by 2050,” he said.

Some farmers are reporting myxomatosis is still causing rabbit deaths on their land.

Having become less effective over time, it is no longer released but still exists in the environment and periodically affects rabbit populations when conditions allow.

Pest controllers wanting to add rabbit control to their commercial offerings can apply for a five-year Agricultural Spraying Permit to apply the poison at: Agricultural Spraying Permit.pdf 

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Comments

Matthew Smith

If farmers or landowners have problems with the rabbits and burrows are present ferreting is a great way to reduce the numbers instead of poison! I would be happy to help out on this matter ! Contact me on 0457948766 thanks Matt

Anonymous

More than aware of the rabbit problem. I see it every time we go ferreting. We have a good strike rate we average 30 to 40 rabbits a day. I’m sure I’m not alone but my biggest hurdle is that most properties have above ground shelter for them to hide. The dogs can’t get under containers or houses so it’s left up to waiting till come out and block there retreat. So if you want me to try to eliminate your rabbits you can ring me 0497593470

Anonymous

There’s a reason pindone is not registered for use in most of Europe and USA. It will kill everything that eats it, particularly native animals and will then go on to kill anything that eats them.
Don’t people ever learn by others mistakes?

Sam

We don't want that then, everything will be dead even the meat ants

In reply to by Anonymous