Bait additives as a means of improving acceptance by rodents¹

Abstract

There is a general desire by those formulating rodent baits to improve them to achieve better rodent control. Various bait additives are currently in use while others have been evaluated without significant benefit. Some food or taste preferences are innate while other specific food preferences of rodents are learned during early experiences in life. Sugar (sweet items) and vegetable oils and animal fats are the most universally effective additives for cereal baits to improve acceptance and palatability for the three major species of commensal rodents. Salt, monosodium glutamate, and a wide array of natural, semi-natural, and synthetic flavors/ aromas as bait enhancers have been explored as gustatory (taste) and olfactory (odor) additives. Their influence on rodents seeking out the bait and on bait acceptance are varied and inconsistent. Flavor additives to baits have often decreased rather than increased consumption.

Effects of different essential oils on the acceptability and palatability of cereal-based baits for laboratory mice

“…It is known that the addition of cinnamon and aniseed during preparation of rodenticide baits can improve bait acceptance by rodents (Marsh, 1988;Buckle, 1994). The results of our study show that cinnamon, anise and clove essential oils at the tested rates do not act as attractants, but also do not negatively affect bait acceptance and palatability for Swiss mice.…”

“…The success of rodent eradication with rodenticides depends on their active ingredients and carriers (Prakash et. al., 2003), environmental conditions (Salmon and Dochtermann, 2006) and bait persistance (Marsh, 1988).…”

Tools for managing invasions: acceptance of non-toxic baits by juvenile Nile monitor lizards and Burmese pythons under laboratory conditions

“…The most common bait preference studies concern the development of rodenticides that are used worldwide (Miller 1974;Rowe et al 1974; Buckle and Kaukeinen 1988;Marsh 1988;Suliman et al 1984;Witmer et al 1995Witmer et al , 2008. With the exception of the brown tree snake, which caused the extirpation of most of Guam's native forest avifauna (Savidge 1987), few other species of invasive reptile have proven deleterious enough to warrant development of baits.…”

Studies on food selection behaviour of the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) on farms

“…In pest-control operations the Norway rat always has the choice between the farm's food resources and the bait. Food preferences are determined partly genetically and partly based on the animal's experience (Marsh 1988). As a result, food preferences can be socially induced (Galef and Wigmore 1983) and are passed on, for example, from the mother to the pups through her milk and saliva scent (Galef and Clark 1972), resulting in the development of traditions (Galef 1982).…”