Alternatives To Anticoagulants: Chloralose

Abstract:
This paper presents data from the development of a new paste-based formulation containing the acute rodenticide chloralose (RapidPro) in order to assess its suitability as an alternative to anticoagulant rodenticides. Albino mice were single caged and offered a chloralose formulation in a standard ‘Choice’ test against a non-toxic alternative diet. The ‘Paste’ based formulation achieved 100% mortality in less than 24 hours with palatability of 23.0%, at ambient temperatures of 19°C - 20°C. By comparison with an earlier developmental ‘Block’ formulation, which only achieved 30% mortality, it is suggested that apparent poor palatability is actually due to a combination of the rapid action of chloralose and a degree of ‘bait shyness’ among animals surviving sedation following a sub-lethal dose. Clearly palatability is still important in order to achieve a lethal dose before the effects of chloralose (sedation) start to take effect, and the ‘Paste’ formulation demonstrated that chloralose can be a very effective and practical alternative to anticoagulants for House Mice, with the key advantage of rapid action and faster elimination of an infestation