How to keep bugs out of outdoor hutches?

FORUM

What are we about? Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules.

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 5sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 4 months ago by Roberta.

Viewing 5 reply threads

Author

Messages
- 12/06/2013 at 1:59 AM
  Melissa
  Participant
  15 posts
  I am extremely worried about my rabbit because
  
  1 her hutch has bugs in specific corners. No matter how many spiders I kill, they will keep coming. Her hutch is also very expensive but breaking due to the strange weather (rain) here (unpredictable weather)
  
  2 it’s summer here! There will even be more bugs due to the humidity
  
  3 i don’t want her to get sick. Yes she hasn’t gotten sick for the past 2 years I’ve had her, so if she does get sick, her immune system might be very low and cause her to be very very sick over time.
  
  i know what some of you are thinking; take her inside,
  
  but I can’t do that,
  
  there are so many hazards in this house(cables),not a lot of space and she is a outdoor rabbit. She has never step foot inside, so I know she will be very scared.
  
  my mum is a clean freak as well so she will not allow a rabbit indoors (fur and poop)
  
  in short,
  
  What type of bugs harm rabbits, and how to deter them
- 12/06/2013 at 2:28 AM
  Cochin
  Participant
  81 posts
  That’s why breeders use wire hutches.. Wood hutches just degrade and attract bugs…
  
  Can you bring her into a shed, or a garage? You can make an all wire cage so that there’s air flow, but the bottom be open… So she’d need to be in a building of some sort…
  
  Like this:
  
  http://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6078254/width/500/height/1000
  
  Ugh, I hate the uploading pics format to this site.. Not very mobile accessible… Please click on the link
- 12/06/2013 at 2:40 AM
  Roberta
  Participant
  4355 posts
  I am guessing you are here in Australia Mel… Yes… Indoors is best. Fleas and mosquitoes carry Myxo and Calicci virus. Even with vaccination Myxo is still a huge concern. It will kill your rabbit horribly.
  The best option is to completely cover the wire with flyscreening material of some sort with small enough guage to exclude mosquitoes. treat yur rabbit monthly through the flea season with Revolution Puppy and Kitten in the box with the Pink banner. Flystrike is another horrible thing that can happen to your rabbit. They are literally eaten alive by maggots….
  The heat is also bad, anything over 27C is Heat Stroke territory so you need ways to keep your bunny cool too.
  If your bun is desexed teaching good litter habits should not be difficult and they are often cleaner that dogs and cats indoors. You can protect cables and isolate play areas using Xpens (very cheap from discount stores) I would do some research on indoor habitats and build a report to show your Mother how it can be done without turning the house into a barnyard.
- 12/06/2013 at 4:12 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17033 posts
  Johnson & Johnson has a cage- and hutch-spray. It’s of course poisonous to all living beings, not just to insects, so it must be used with care and caution.
  
  Robertas tip on checking the habitat section here on BB is great, some people make the lovliest bunny-homes out of dog-crates etc.
- 12/06/2013 at 6:30 PM
  Melissa
  Participant
  15 posts
  I’ll try find some fly screening material and renovate her house, but just wondering, are false widows/steatdoa bipunctata spiders harmful? Because summer is here = more flies and Mosquitos, so I am possibly considering keeping it there to catch any flies or Mosquitos.
  
  And could any of you name common insects that roam near rabbit hutches and are harmful and how to prevent it.
  
  Sorry for asking a lot of questions, i am very cautious
  
  Thanks!
- 12/06/2013 at 6:54 PM
  Roberta
  Participant
  4355 posts
  I would remove the spider just to be safe… I bought some sticky fly traps that go on windows and that seemed to work to catch a lot of little things that snuck into the house… This unfortunately is not a solution in a hutch or where your bunny can reach it. Maybe you could hang some flystrips around the outside of her area out of reach.
Author

Messages

Viewing 5 reply threads

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.