Protection from mosquitoes carrying diseases

[wizard]

Hi everyone, hope you all had a wonderful Easter! :bunnyhop:
A bit of a newbie to the field but here goes...
Last year I started raising rabbits for meat, I had 24 in total around mid june, 2 healthy does and 22 kits, in a wire fenced enclosure measuring 3 metres by 4 metres (9 feet x 12 feet). I live on the edge of a forest and by a river. Everything was going really well until a plague of mosquitoes emerged and for about a month my poor rabbits were sitting ducks. Every time I went to feed the rabbits, I was walking through a thick cloud of mosquitoes to get to them. it was REALLY bad. They were all getting bitten. It was a massacre mornings and evenings. :x

I tried some deterrents but nothing helped, only temporarily. After a month my rabbits started to show signs of disease maybe myxy on their ears, and then on their faces and I couldn't understand where from. No one close by has rabbits, and there are no wild rabbits around. I got up very early one morning, to see if I could spot anything. and I saw a large hare stood in the field next to mine. After google-ing for more info I realised that my rabbits probably caught the disease from a mosquito that had fed on a nearby hare, and then on one of my rabbits. Things went from bad to worse, I removed the rabbits which showed symptoms one by one, until I had five left and decided to make meat from the ones left before they started getting ill too.

I am starting again this year and I am planning a mosquito proof rabbit house, with open cages inside, approx. 15. It'll be a long building with a screened door each end for ventilation, droppings trays and gutters and possibly nipple waterers. I believe after a whole winter of thinking, this is the way forward.
I would appreciate any ideas or comments.

 

[Dood]

Myxomatosis isn't a problem here in North America - thank heavens

Mosquito proofing sounds like to good way to go but here are a few other ideas.

The bugs are mostly attracted by the Carbon Dioxide your rabbits breathe out and there are traps, usually yeast based, that also emit CO2 and could help kill off a few if the little blood suckers.

Ducks, especially Muscovies, are terrific at eating the moquito larva in puddles and ponds and even at catching the adult flies perhaps buy a bunch of ducklings this spring and see if they cut back the numbers of Mosquitos.

 

[MaggieJ]

Mosquites are a major concern for a lot of rabbit breeders. Where they are really bad, a screened shelter is definitely the best way to go, but you may need to use deterrents as well, especially around the doors.

My favourite repellent for both flies and mosquitoes is catnip. Make sure you get the old-fashioned Nepeta cataria (sometimes called "true catnip") rather than the ornamental varieties. Grow it all around your rabbitry and don't be afraid to walk through it to release the pungent scent. You can also cut the fresh plant, bruise it well and hang bunches inside the rabbitry to make it inhospitable to mosquitoes that will get in when you go in or out. Catnip likes sun but will grow just about anywhere and it is hardy to about Zone 2. It will grow even in poor soil. We are blessed with it in abundance here and find it extremely useful.

In the the Predators, Pests and Security forum you will find thread after thread about dealing with mosquitoes. Here are a few of them, but there are lots more.
mosquitoes-t16445.html
mosquitoe-repellant-t19954.html
mosquitos-t19208.html

 

[michaels4gardens]

In some places, people raising rabbits have to build a "rabbit building" with screened doors and windows, -- sounds like you are in one of those areas--

 

[MaggieJ]

I've just been reading another topic about predators... in this case a large dog. It occurs to me that while you will need window screening to keep the mosquitoes out, that you may need a second layer of something to keep out other predators. Window screening will not stop any determined predator on its own, so you may need a second layer of hardware cloth, welded wire or chain link as well.

What predators do you have in your area, Wizard? Do people let their dogs and cats run? Any weasel family predators like ferrets or pine martens? Foxes? You need to keep all kinds of predators in mind when planning a rabbitry - including those pesky two-legged ones who might question your right to raise rabbits at all.

 

[wizard]

thanks everyone for your replies.
I'm not sure about the yeast idea as I tried this for us humans one year, and didn't catch even one! maybe with a different breed of mosquito/ different country it'd work. And well yes it seems the screened building is the way to go, and thanks Maggie I'm gonna def think about the predator angle too, as where I am there are dogs, cats, foxes, weasels and so on. but thankfully not many 2 legged problems!
Not really into ducks as my father-in-law has them, and they love to make a mess lol.
I've just been around my field and it seems I'm surrounded by a plant that looks very much like catnip, so I'm in luck. (just wonder why I didn't hear about it before hmmm) gonna give it a try.

 

[MaggieJ]

If your plant is catnip, you should be able to identify it by its smell. It is minty and musky at the same time. How lucky if you already have an established supply! It is easy to grow but in the quantities you will want, it will speed things up a lot to work from mature plants, which can be easily divided. Cuttings root easily too. Be sure to plant some strategically outside the doors to the rabbitry.

For years in summer, I had my rabbits in wire cages inside a secure chain link structure. It was in the shade of a huge old weeping willow tree and on still days (usually we have a good breeze off Lake Ontario) the mosquitoes could be a nuisance. If I took in a bunch of bruised catnip, mosquitoes and flies would be gone before I could feed and water half a dozen cages. I also use the mushed-up leaves on my skin and clothing when I am gardening to keep the insects at bay.

 

[wizard]

Awesome! the plant certainly smells like the right stuff! I'm truly thankful for all ur help Maggie should be a mosquito free year yay! :lol: