NONLETHAL MOUSE REPELLENTS - EVALUATION OF CINNAMAMIDE AS A REPELLENTAGAINST COMMENSAL AND FIELD RODENTS

Cinnamamide, a non-lethal repellent, deters feeding by a wide range of avian species. We investigated the potential of cinnamamide as a repe llent for house mice (Mus musculus) and wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus ), using a 3 day, 'short-term no-choice test'. Both species were prese nted with cinnamamide-treated food at 0.8% w/w. After an initial sampl ing period, both the house mice and wood mice reduced their consumptio n of cinnamamide-treated food to 32% and 17%, respectively, of control (pre-trial) consumption. Consumption of treated food by house mice re mained depressed for the remainder of the trial, suggesting that at th is concentration, the house mice had developed a strong and persistent learned aversion to the treated food. In contrast, the wood mice rapi dly habituated to the presence of cinnamamide and food consumption ret urned to control (pre-trial) levels on days 2 and 3. In a subsequent t rial to determine the dose-response relationship between cinnamamide c oncentration and consumption of treated food by the house mouse, cinna mamide reduced food consumption at concentrations as low as 0.1% w/w a nd this reduction increased with increasing concentration. Our results indicate that cinnamamide has the potential for use against the comme nsal rodent Mus musculus in situations where use of lethal control met hods could be hazardous (e.g. food stores).