Pen and field trials of flupropadine against the house mouse (Mus musculus L.).

Laboratory and field trials were conducted to determine the efficacy of the candidate rodenticide flupropadine against the house mouse (Mus musculus L.). In laboratory feeding tests, family groups of wild mice maintained in pens and conditioned to feeding on plain foods were offered flupropadine at either 0.10%, 0.15%, 0.18% or 0.20% in pinhead oatmeal bait. Overall mortalities in replicated 21-day treatments were 66/71 (93.0%), 71/79 (89.9%), 72/76 (94.7%) and 69/75 (92.0%) respectively. In 17 field trials carried out against mice infesting farm buildings, flupropadine was used at 0.10%, 0.15% and 0.18% in oatmeal bait. Mean treatment success, estimated from live-capture and mortality data, was 88.6%, 96.2% and 96.6% respectively. Flupropadine was found to be as near effective against mice as calciferol/warfarin and the second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides difenacoum, bromadiolone and brodifacoum. In further comparison with the anticoagulants, treatment with flupropadine bait achieved markedly quicker control.