Abstract
Dead neonatal mice are currently used as bait for delivery of toxin to invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on Guam; once deployed in the field the mice are highly attractive to the snakes but only for about four days. An artificial bait containing a mixture of fats mimicking those in skin of the mice is also highly attractive to the snakes and remains attractive 2–3 times longer. The artificial bait, however, costs more than the mice, and is more difficult to attach to the capsules of a novel aerial bait delivery system. This paper describes a reformulation of the bait which reduced the ingredient cost to 11% of its former value, without compromising its attractiveness to free-ranging snakes. Three lipid formulations using different source materials to produce the same fatty acid profile target were tested along with two levels of pork fat to yield six test formulations. No differences in bait disappearance were noted in field testing of the baits, indicating that decisions regarding bait formulation could be made on the basis of cost without sacrificing efficacy. Separately, testing of 17 commercially available adhesives identified five for field testing. Among these, two demonstrated strong, weather-resistant bonds between the oily surface of the artificial baits and the bait capsules as evidenced by only 13.4% and 4.5% of baits falling off suspended capsules. Importantly, neither of these adhesives impacted bait removal by snakes in field trials in comparison to baits with no adhesive.. The results represent an advance in technology development for landscape-scale suppression of brown treesnake populations.
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The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Notes
Brown Tree Snake Control and Eradication Act of 2004, Pub. L. No. 108-384 Section 7, 118 STAT. 2224 (2004).
Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, Pub. L. No. 110-417 Section 316, 122 STAT. 4410 (2008).
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Acknowledgements
These studies were made possible through funding provided by the U.S. Department of the Navy (MIPR# M2002118MPDP075) and generous access to Andersen AFB. This research was supported in part by the intramural research program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Agricultural Research Service. The assistance of USDA APHIS Wildlife Services staff located on the island of Guam was greatly appreciated. Editor: Please include this statement. “Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer”
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Information that explains whether and by whom the research was supported: Funding provided by the U.S. Department of the Navy (MIPR# M2002118MPDP075).
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Include appropriate approvals or waivers: NWRC protocol QA-3011 (“Artificial Toxic Bait Attachment and Field Stability for Landscape-scale Brown Treesnake Suppression”) was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee on 10/10/19.
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Garcia, R.A., McAuliffe, T.W., Bumanlag, L.P. et al. Adaptation of an artificial bait to an automated aerial delivery system for landscape-scale brown treesnake suppression. Biol Invasions 23, 3175–3185 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-021-02567-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-021-02567-8