Designer repellents: combining olfactory, visual or taste cues with a secondary repellent to deter free‐ranging house sparrows from feeding

Clapperton, B. Kay; Porter, R. E. R.; Day, T. D.; Waas, Joseph R.; Matthews, Lindsay R.

doi:10.1002/ps.3244

Cited by 20 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Some learning of pellet-associated cues was demonstrated by captive native kea, which ate less pellet bait with cinnamon pre-exposure to similar pellets containing anthraquinone and/ or d-pulegone than post-exposure (Orr-Walker et al 2012). However, relative to plain wheat, the amount of blue-dyed wheat with anthraquinone eaten by sparrows was not further reduced by the addition of cinnamon, suggesting little role for cinnamon as a learning cue (Clapperton et al 2012). Currently, baits are dyed a uniform colour; countershading (i.e.…”

Section: Synthesis and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Brown and Ulrich (2005) reviewed parameters affecting the efficacy of aerial 1080 operations for possum and rat control and concluded that research was required on the relative benefits of using green-and blue-dyed baits for protection of native birds. Blue dye was suggested as an alternative because some research (Hartley et al 1999(Hartley et al , 2000Clapperton et al 2012) indicated blue dye was more effective than green in deterring some bird species from feeding on bait.…”

Section: Background Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other than the trials by Pracy et al (1982), there has been little research on responses of New Zealand birds to alternative bait additives except for the known bird repellents anthraquinone and d-pulegone (Clapperton et al 2012;OrrWalker et al 2012;Cowan et al 2015). Pracy et al (1982) tested 20 flavours on free-living weka.…”

Section: Synthesis and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Visual and taste cues for minimising native bird interactions with toxic 1080 baits – a review of current practices

Cowan¹,

Crowell²

2017

NZ J Ecol

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Non-target risk from the use of vertebrate toxins for pest control is an ongoing issue globally. In New Zealand, toxic bait for aerial control of possums and rodents is dyed green and contains cinnamon oil, both of which are thought to reduce the risk that birds will eat the bait. It has been suggested for some time that blue dye may be a more effective feeding deterrent than green dye. While both green and blue dye reduce the risk that birds will feed on bait, the available evidence is not sufficiently strong to suggest a significant improvement in repelling birds by switching from green to blue. Cinnamon oil, at the nominal concentration in bait, may have some bird repellent effects, but these are likely to depend on its origin (bark or leaves) and the freshness of the bait (as it evaporates relatively quickly from bait after manufacture). Bait colour, including ultraviolet, is also an important cue in avoidance learning by birds and should be considered in more detail in future studies of specific bird repellent additives to bait for possum and rodent control. Further research is needed to optimise the use of visual cues in bait, both for their inherent repellency (e.g. green vs blue; optimal concentration of dye) and for their effectiveness in promoting avoidance learning. It would also be worth investigating an alternative compound to cinnamon as a mask for 1080; ideally such an alternative would have enhanced stability and bird repellent properties.

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Section: Synthesis and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Background Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Synthesis and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Visual and taste cues for minimising native bird interactions with toxic 1080 baits – a review of current practices

Cowan¹,

Crowell²

2017

NZ J Ecol

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“…Day et al (2003) commented that the level of pecking observed may have resulted in some deaths of robins had the baits been toxic. Clapperton et al (2014) found a similar but greater reduction in pecking of baits soaked in repellent (0.09% anthraquinone), although avoidance may have been enhanced by the inclusion of blue dye in the baits (Clapperton et al 2011). Blue dye may be less attractive to some birds than the green dye used in operational control baits (Hartley et al 1999).…”

Section: Relevance For Other Native Birdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The initial focus on repellents to reduce the risk of poisoning of kea was on d-pulegone as a primary repellent and anthraquinone as a secondary repellent (Orr-Walker et al 2012; Cowan et al 2015), a strategy shown to be effective for crop protection and for deterring North Island robins (Petroica longipes) and tomtits (P. macrocephala) from pecking at pest control baits (Day et al 2003;Clapperton et al 2011Clapperton et al , 2014Day et al 2012). However, laboratory and field trials demonstrated that anthraquinone reduced cereal bait consumption by rats at concentrations of 0.1% and 0.25% and hence the efficacy of 1080 cereal pellets for rat control (Cowan et al 2015;Crowell et al 2015b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Repellents with potential to protect kea and other native birds from aerial poisoning for possum and rat control

Cowan¹,

Booth²,

Crowell³

2016

NZ J Ecol

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Concern about non-target risks to native birds, particularly kea (Nestor notabilis), from aerial poisoning has prompted the evaluation of potential repellent compounds that could be incorporated into the cereal pellet bait used for possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) and rat (Rattus spp.) control. Initial trials of d-pulegone and anthraquinone were not wholly successful, with the former having poor stability in bait and the latter reducing bait uptake by rats. While research to stabilise d-pulegone in bait remains an option, a review of alternative compounds was undertaken to assist with decision-making about future directions for research, including consideration of possible formulation issues and cost. Most of the information reviewed related to use of repellents for crop protection where the aim is to reduce economic loss rather than prevent feeding on the crop, whereas preventing feeding is the primary aim for native bird protection. A further constraint was the lack of information for many compounds on response of rodents and possums. Cinnamamide, tannic acid, caffeine, garlic oil, ortho-aminoacetophenone, and thiram were identified as possible candidates and evaluated in relation to their potential to repel native birds from eating cereal baits without affecting efficacy for possums and rats. Cinnamamide, caffeine, and thiram, while effective as bird repellents, are likely to be repellent to rats at concentrations suitable for use with native birds, including kea. The little information found suggested that garlic oil was repellent to birds; it has not been formally tested on possums and rats, but anecdotal evidence did not suggest strong aversion. Ortho-aminoacetophenone appears effective as a bird repellent, but its repellency for possums and rats requires clarification. Tannic acid has some efficacy as a bird repellent, and is not repellent to possums and rats at lower concentrations. It is not clear if tannic acid exerts its effect solely as a primary repellent or whether it also has secondary repellent effects. In order from most to least promising, tannic acid, ortho-aminoacetophenone, and garlic oil are worthy of further investigation. Because each compound has demonstrated some efficacy as a bird repellent, initial testing should focus on screening against possums and rats.

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Bird-repellent effects on bait efficacy for control of invasive mammal pests

et al. 2014

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Anthraquinone is not suitable for inclusion in bait for rat control at the concentrations tested, and also presents some risk to efficacy for possum control. D-pulegone would be suitable for inclusion in bait for possums and rats, but problems related to its volatility in bait manufacture and storage would need to be overcome. Further studies should focus on an alternative secondary repellent, or on establishing the maximum anthraquinone concentration that does not reduce efficacy for rats and testing whether or not that concentration is sufficient to repel native birds from baits reliably.

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Designer repellents: combining olfactory, visual or taste cues with a secondary repellent to deter free‐ranging house sparrows from feeding

Abstract: These data demonstrate the potential of combining the secondary repellent AQ with additional salient cues for modifying the feeding behaviour of sparrows.

Cited by 20 publications

References 38 publications

Visual and taste cues for minimising native bird interactions with toxic 1080 baits – a review of current practices

Visual and taste cues for minimising native bird interactions with toxic 1080 baits – a review of current practices

Repellents with potential to protect kea and other native birds from aerial poisoning for possum and rat control

Bird-repellent effects on bait efficacy for control of invasive mammal pests

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