REPELLENCY OF GARLIC EXTRACT TO EUROPEAN STARLINGS

Garlic and garlic oil were recently exempted from pesticide registrati on requirements, increasing the attractiveness of these substances as candidate vertebrate repellents. Because anecdotal evidence suggests t hat garlic may repel birds, the present experiment was designed to eva luate the aversiveness of garlic to European starlings (Sturnus vulgar is). Samples of feed were mixed with garlic oil to produce concentrati ons ranging from 1.0-0.1% (vol./mass). All garlic concentrations reduc ed consumption relative to consumption of untreated feed in two-cup ch oice tests (P < 0.05). These results are consistent with the possibili ty that garlic oil may be used to repel these birds.