Conclusions
Thermal imaging technology provides an efficient method for detecting
rabbit warrens and entrances in all vegetation types (open, vegetated
and mixed), surpassing the use of visual inspection alone. Improved
detection of warrens and their entrances can lead to more effective
control programs, ensuring all warrens and entrances within an area are
identified. This should lead to reduced control costs over time due to
decreased rates of reopening. Both consumer and professional thermal
imagers can be used, however, consumer imagers should be supplemented
with additional technology due to their poor exportable Frame rate. Low
exportable Frame rates produce noisy and blurred imagery. This causes
hot spots to look like indistinguishable white blobs which ultimately
results in a high number of false-positive detections.