Lures And Bait Consumption Motivators For Rats

Pest control strategies would become more effective if semiochemicals (volatile organic signalling compounds) instead of foods were used as lures and bait additives. This is because (1) they can be encapsulated into non-perishable lure products that emit a sustained odour for extended time periods thus negating the need for constant replenishment and, (2) increase the amount of bait consumed by target animals thus increasing the likelihood of an animal ingesting a lethal toxic dose. We trialled six different semiochemical blends as lures and bait consumption motivators that we had previously identified as having potential as semiochemical products for rats. Two semiochemical blends accounted for 60% of all trap box entries and statistically
outperformed the control. Bait consumption was increased in the presence of all six semiochemical blends with one leading to 2.6 times more bait being consumed. Our semiochemical blends, when developed and commercially available, will improve the effectiveness of rat monitoring and control. Ultimately, our products will help achieve major operational cost savings, especially by large reductions in labour, and enable a substantial expansion in the scale and frequency of pest control, especially in inaccessible locations.