USE OF ODOR BAIT TO CATCH BANK VOLES

The aim of this study was to determine whether bank voles Clethrionomy s glareolus (Schreber, 1780) could be trapped by the odour of other in dividuals as opposed to using food as bait. A line of 100 snap traps w as set at 2 meters interval in a forest. Odour bait was prepared of po lyurethane foam cubes (1.5 cm3) on which few male and female bank Yole s were kept in a 2 litre glass jar without food and water (to prevent the transfer of food odours to the bait). Traps with even numbers were provided with the odorous foam cubes (changed every two days) and tra ps with odd numbers were provided with new foam. Trappings were carrie d out in two series in autumn, the first for 14 days and the second fo r 10 days. Fifty five bank voles (mean: 2.50 +/- 2.11 per day) were tr apped in traps baited with odour foam and 14 (mean: 0.64 +/- 1.36 per day) in traps without odour, the latter during the first three days of both trapping series (p < 0.001). There was no difference in the numb er of individuals caught on the first and second day after placing the bait with odour.