Pest Management Science (2012) 68, 355-361

Daniel Frynta, Barbora Eliásová, Marcela Franková, Radek Aulicky, Pavel Rödl and Václav Stejskal (2012)
Production of UV-light-detectable faeces from house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) after consumption of encapsulated fluorescent pigment in monitoring bait
Pest Management Science 68 (3), 355-361
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The authors investigated whether fluorescent pigment in thermoset melamine microcapsules incorporated into monitoring baits would be excreted in the faeces of wild house mice in a quantity and intensity that would be detectable by a human observer.
RESULTS: Experimental mice produced 24-116 UV-visible faecal pellets per 24 h; the mean dry weight was 582 mg. The number and weight of the faeces was independent of mouse sex and weight. The defecation of UV-visible faeces began at 2-3 h, peaked at 5-8 h and was complete at 17 h after bait ingestion. The detectability of the highly fluorescent faecal pellets using a small UV flashlight approached 100%, and no false positives were recorded.
CONCLUSION: The tested formulation is of significant value for rodent pest monitoring because faeces that are highly visible by UV light are produced for 15 h by mice after ingestion, and their detection is easy and unambiguous.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Vaclav Stejskal

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation
population dynamics/ epidemiology

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Mus musculus