
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Ross, J. G. 
A1  - Hickling, G. J. 
A1  - Morgan, D. R. 
A1  - Eason, C. T. 
T1  - The role of non-toxic prefeed and postfeed in the development and maintenance of 1080 bait shyness in captive brushtail possums
JF  - Wildlife Research
JO  - Wildl. Res.
Y1  - 2000
VL  - 27
IS  - 1
SP  - 69
EP  - 74
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/WR98029 
N2  - Shyness to sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) in cereal bait can persist in sub-lethally poisoned possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) populations for at least 2 years. We investigated the use of non-toxic cereal &#8216;prefeed&#8217; and &#8216;postfeed&#8217; as ways of inhibiting and overcoming such shyness. The postfeed result was also compared with changing to a non-cereal, gel-based 1080 bait. Prefeeding had a significant effect on the number of possums that became &#8216;bait shy&#8217; following an approximate LD20 1080 dose, with 97% of non-prefed possums developing an aversion to 1080 cereal bait compared with only 22% of prefed possums. In contrast, postfeeding with cereal was relatively ineffective in reducing the number of 1080 bait-shy possums, with mortality of these possums being 30% compared with 0% of non-postfed possums. In contrast, the gel 1080 bait killed 64% of 1080 cereal bait-shy possums. These results suggest that 1080 bait shyness can be markedly reduced by prefeeding non-toxic bait to possums prior to each control operation. However, this may not be the most cost-effective control option, given the observed efficacy of follow-up baiting with 1080 gel. 
ER  -

