The susceptibility of Rattus rattus and Bandicota bengalensis to a new anticoagulant rodenticide, flocoumafen.

Abstract

The anticoagulant rodenticide flocoumafen was evaluated against Rattus rattus and Bandicota bengalensis. In no-choice 24 h feeding tests 100% mortality occurred at 0.00125% concentration of the poison in the bait in the case of B. bengalensis and at 0.00375% in R. rattus. Feeding of 0.0025% poison bait in 1-day, no-choice and 2-day choice tests resulted in 60% and 75% mortality of R. rattus, respectively, and 100% of B. bengalensis. The differences between the consumption of plain food in the pretreatment period and of poison bait in no-choice tests were non-significant, except in one case. The rodents consumed significantly more (P less than 0.01) poison bait than the plain alternative in the choice trials. Median period of survival and its 95% confidence limits of R. rattus and B. bengalensis, at the 100% mortality dose levels of the poison, were 6.3 (5.04-7.88) and 6.2 (4.92-7.81) days respectively.