Editorial: Caught on the hop by cute bunnies

Some readers have told of rabbits invading their garden under the cover of darkness. Photo / File

There's something about rabbits that makes them hard to consider as pests.

I'm not sure if it's their cute little tails, their quivering ears, their brown eyes or the fact that when I think of rabbits I think of the cute little character made famous by Beatrix Potter, Peter Rabbit, which all children want to escape from Mr McGregor's garden.

However, a pest they are. In fact, in days gone by there was a Rabbit Board dedicated solely to eradicating them.

This entry from the Daily Telegraph on December 12, 1900, with minutes from a meeting of the HB Rabbit Board, shows just how thorough they were. - Inspectors' reports: Numerous traces on Peddles; killed two rabbits and saw five others, very unsatisfactory state, shall lay information. Slight traces at Dunn's and on Potters. A few traces at Glengarrie, This place has been very clean the last six months.

These days a McLean scale is used to determine the state of infestation (see page 8).

I wonder what these men would say about the state of Frimley Park. I also wonder how the problem is going to be solved. Surely bait can't be laid in a place children frequent and dogs are walked. Guns are out of the questions, so what is the solution?

Some readers have said leave them alone, they are not doing any harm.

Others have told of rabbits invading their garden under the cover of darkness.

I'm sure if Frimley Park was overrun with rats there would be an uproar. But cute little bunnies seem able to get away with a whole lot.

According to All-Clean, Pests Away owner Ross Howell rabbits are hard to get rid of.

It will be interesting to see what happens.