Pen and field trials of a new anticoagulant rodenticide flocoumafen against the house mouse (Mus musculus L.).

Abstract

The efficacy of flocoumafen, a novel anticoagulant rodenticide, was evaluated in feeding tests on confined and free-living populations of house mice (Mus musculus L.). In four pen trials, family groups of laboratory-reared wild mice were conditioned to feeding on plain foods and then offered flocoumafen at 0.005% in pinhead oatmeal bait. All 68 mice, comprising juvenile and adult animals, died within 10 days. Ten field trials were carried out, using the same formulated poison bait, against mice infesting farm buildings. Mean treatment success, estimated from live-capture and mortality data, ranged between 87.1 and 100%. The performance of flocoumafen is compared with that of difenacoum, bromadiolone and brodifacoum used at the same concentration in oatmeal bait. Flocoumafen gave an equally effective but quicker kill of mice. It is concluded that flocoumafen is a promising new rodenticide for the control of M. musculus.