Rabbit Drop Boxes

[Malt 379]

Great post JB.

[mackay 3,044]

What are the boxes treated with ?, all the drop boxes I've seen and used were made from heavy duty galvanised mesh with a wooden top and trapdoor.

[Guest SJM]

Aye same here, there are some right old ones on some waterboard land near me and they have been in the ground for about 15 yrs theyre quite rusted, I would have thought wood would be prone to rotting?

[john b 38]

What are the boxes treated with ?, all the drop boxes I've seen and used were made from heavy duty galvanised mesh with a wooden top and trapdoor.

 

Aye same here, there are some right old ones on some waterboard land near me and they have been in the ground for about 15 yrs theyre quite rusted, I would have thought wood would be prone to rotting?

 

I think that's all true, but you have to remember these are home made traps and should come in a lot cheaper than the commercial ones. And half the fun is making something yourself. You only have to look through the posts on here and the other forums and you'll often find people asking how to make one of these.

 

The top section is designed to lift on and off relatively easily and in theory you can make the box out of anything suitable you can get hold of and are comfortable working with.

You could use something like weldmesh but I'd have worries about the rabbits climbing that like a ladder. I suppose you could even line the hole with concrete if you were after a permanent solution.

 

If you use marine plywood, as I recommend, you're unlikely to have any short term problems as that stuff is designed for use in and on water. Given a couple of coats of preservative as well and it should stand up to for a good few years. Worst case you can always pull the box out and slip in a replacement one. All the complex carpentry is in the top.

 

edited to add: I hope that Steve will be keeping in touch so I should get some long term feedback on how they last in the ground.

[THE-TERRIERMAN 0]

john what was the reason for setting them like that??

 

it goes to prove that no idea's are set in stone

 

but i cant help thinking would they have took more if the tunnels went through the fence. i think once a rabbit had been through once or twice and realised it wasn't going anywhere . they wouldn't use them again.

 

intresting stuff though, and those boxes look very well made

i totally agree with you TOMO

[steviemann 5]

What are the boxes treated with ?, all the drop boxes I've seen and used were made from heavy duty galvanised mesh with a wooden top and trapdoor.

 

Aye same here, there are some right old ones on some waterboard land near me and they have been in the ground for about 15 yrs theyre quite rusted, I would have thought wood would be prone to rotting?

 

I think that's all true, but you have to remember these are home made traps and should come in a lot cheaper than the commercial ones. And half the fun is making something yourself. You only have to look through the posts on here and the other forums and you'll often find people asking how to make one of these.

 

The top section is designed to lift on and off relatively easily and in theory you can make the box out of anything suitable you can get hold of and are comfortable working with.

You could use something like weldmesh but I'd have worries about the rabbits climbing that like a ladder. I suppose you could even line the hole with concrete if you were after a permanent solution.

 

If you use marine plywood, as I recommend, you're unlikely to have any short term problems as that stuff is designed for use in and on water. Given a couple of coats of preservative as well and it should stand up to for a good few years. Worst case you can always pull the box out and slip in a replacement one. All the complex carpentry is in the top.

 

edited to add: I hope that Steve will be keeping in touch so I should get some long term feedback on how they last in the ground.

Very interesting post. Am I right in thinking marine ply is very expensive? Got a neighbour erecting rabbit fencing on adjoining land cos of severe rabbit problem, so would be able to use this system.

Hedge 200 yrd, caught 130 in cage traps just in dec on this stretch. Not to metion what I shot!!!

[ianrob 2]

if you use marine plywood, as I recommend, you're unlikely to have any short term problems as that stuff is designed for use in and on water. Given a couple of coats of preservative as well and it should stand up to for a good few years. Worst case you can always pull the box out and slip in a replacement one. All the complex carpentry is in the top.

 

edited to add: I hope that Steve will be keeping in touch so I should get some long term feedback on how they last in the ground.

Very interesting post. Am I right in thinking marine ply is very expensive? Got a neighbour erecting rabbit fencing on adjoining land cos of severe rabbit problem, so would be able to use this system.

Hedge 200 yrd, caught 130 in cage traps just in dec on this stretch. Not to metion what I shot!!!

 

 

Marine ply is very expensive and if my memory serves me well, it's only the lack of voids and salt resistance that make it different to WBP or exterior plywood which is a lot cheaper. I did a course on board products years ago. WBP would be an excellent compromise.

[megpsycho 8]

cheers for the reply john. they look the buisness.where can i buy the book. gonna let my mate make me some for nothing im not much of a carpenter apart from my name

[Teesdale-rabbiter 15]

You can buy Johns book from here i can highly recommend it http://www.fourteenacre.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/