Are wild rodents attracted to lure laboratory rats?

Abstract

invasions to New Zealand’s unique biodiversity, ‘pest-free’ offshore and mainland island refuges have been created. The success of this approach depends on the long term maintenance of the pest-free status of these refuges. Because the occurrence of rodent incursions is an on-going risk, early detection and elimination of invading animals is crucial. We conducted field-based experiments to determine if lures of live female and male laboratory Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) held in cages in the wild, and lures consisting of urine-soaked rodent bedding could be used to detect the presence of wild rodents. We found that the use of live rodents and bedding significantly increased the probability of detecting wild rodents, although we were not able to determine the sex, age or number of wild rodents attracted to each live rodent station. We also found that wild rats were equally attracted to the scent of male and female rats i.e., lures and bedding. Our approach provides potential as a tool for early detection of rodents in vulnerable refuges and we suggest that further research is needed to investigate the feasibility of developing rat scented monitoring stations.