Rabbits can be a very persistent and aggravating pest. The best time to work on rabbit problems around your yard, is in the dead of winter. It is easy, then, to see where they are living and frequenting by the tracks in the snow. Too often, we wait until Spring when the flowers are already coming up, and our gardens are starting to sprout; and then we start looking to solve our rabbit problems. At this point about all you can do, is put a 2 foot high, small mesh fence around the garden or flower spot, and check it daily to see that they're not digging under it.
The key to keeping the rabbit numbers down, is controlling the habitat in which they live. If you drive down several alleys in areas where the rabbit population is high, it is easy to see why they're doing so well. In the Spring and Summer, there is an almost endless food supply, so it is useless to attack them from that angle. One of the prime things you CAN do to have a significant effect on their numbers, is to "rabbit proof" the neighborhood. One of the best ways that we can do that, is to eliminate cover. Rabbits don't sit out in the open, so people should put some small mesh wire around their decks BEFORE covering them with lattice work. Trim up the bushes and (especially) evergreen trees so the branches don't extend down to the ground. Put sheds and small outbuildings on cement slabs so animals can't dig under them. Move boats, campers, trailers, old vehicles, etc. when mowing so they don't become "weed patches"; and if you must have a wood pile or old lumber pile, raise it above ground, or put a small fence around the area.
Rabbits are a little harder to bait and livetrap than most other wild animals, especially in the Spring when there's an endless fresh food source, but some things that work for bait are: fresh cut alfalfa, rabbit food pellets (Available at pet food suppliers for tame rabbits), cracked or ground corn, or carrot greens.
It is also good to note that rabbits are game animals, and are protected by laws and seasons governing the taking of them. It is OK to livetrap and relocate them, and even destroy them in some cases if they're doing damage; but they should ALWAYS be removed by legal and humane methods. If you have any questions about the methods you may use, I urge you to contact Animal Control in Watertown, SD; or a local Conservation Officer if located outside of Watertown.
