NACC is coordinating a second release of the RHDV1 K5 Virus in the Northern Agricultural Region and due to unforeseen circumstances we now have one last free vial of the virus available to the community.
To express your interest in becoming a release site for the rabbit calicivirus please email jessica.stingemore@nacc.com.au or call 9938 0106.
The Yuna Farm Improvement Group (YFIG) held a community baiting day earlier this year during which six local landholders volunteered their time, along with technicians from Midwest Pest Control to “put-paid to some rascally rabbits”. In one well-oiled operation, they collectively mixed enough rabbit bait to cover 42,000ha of land in the Yuna farming district and traversed the project area in search of rabbit ‘hotspots’.
The baiting day ran very efficiently and was timely, due to a recent release of a new calicivirus strain which was already resulting in low rabbit populations.
Since the community baiting day, rabbit populations have continued to remain low and have even disappeared from some areas in the district, resulting in the baiting day being considered by all as a real success.
YFIG Biosecurity representative Jeremy Brooks said, “Some feedback we received from landholders included that they were time poor, and found it hard to get the baits laid in time before seeding.”
“Next time around, YFIG intends to employ a licensed pest management technician to aid in the laying of baits for landholders – so that the baiting program is completed in an efficient and timely manner,” he said.
Jeremy said the YFIG plan to run another community baiting day at around the same time in 2018.
“The Yuna Farm Improvement Group would like to thank NACC for its very generous contribution, and looks forward to collaborating more in the future.”
Stay tuned for more details!
With funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program, NACC is proudly working with our local farmers to inspire and support sustainable stewardship of our region’s natural assets.