Register      Login
Wildlife Research Wildlife Research Society
Ecology, management and conservation in natural and modified habitats
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > WR > WR06163
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 34(4)

Persistence of sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) in fox baits and implications for fox management in south-eastern Australia

M. N. Gentle A B C D , G. R. Saunders A and C. R. Dickman B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Forest Road, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia.

B Institute of Wildlife Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

C Present address: Robert Wicks Pest Animal Research Centre, Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, 203 Tor Street, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: matthew.gentle@dpi.qld.gov.au

Wildlife Research 34(4) 325-333 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR06163
Submitted: 28 November 2006  Accepted: 25 May 2007   Published: 28 June 2007

Abstract

The persistence of 1080 in two commonly used fox baits, Foxoff® and chicken wingettes, was assessed under different climatic and rainfall conditions in central-western New South Wales. The rate of 1080 degradation did not change significantly between the Central Tablelands and the relatively hotter and drier environment of the Western Slopes. Loss of 1080 from wingettes was independent of the rainfall and climate conditions, with wingettes remaining lethal to foxes for, on average, 0.9 weeks. Foxoff® baits remained lethal for longer than wingettes under all tested conditions, although their rate of degradation increased generally with increasing rainfall. As a result, areas baited with Foxoff® will require longer withholding periods for working dogs than those baited with wingettes, especially during dry periods. Wingettes may have advantages for use in sensitive areas where long-term hazards from toxic baits are undesirable. We found significant variations in 1080 concentration in freshly prepared baits that may result in efficacy, non-target and regulatory concerns for baiting campaigns. As a result, the superior quality control and shelf-stability of manufactured Foxoff® may be important criteria for favouring its use over freshly prepared bait types. However, use strategies for any bait type must ensure that foxes consume lethal doses of 1080 to avoid potential problems such as the development of learned aversion to baits or pesticide resistance.


Acknowledgements

Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries were contracted to undertake the bait assays. We thank Laurie Twigg and Bob Parker for technical advice, and Greg Jones, Brian Lukins and Jayne Jenkins for technical assistance. Thanks to John McIlroy and two anonymous referees for comments. Funding for this research was provided by the National Feral Animal Control Program (NHT) and the Invasive Animals CRC.


References

Adams M. R. , and Moss M. O. (1995). ‘Food Microbiology.’ (The Royal Society of Chemistry: Cambridge.)

Baker, S. E. , Johnson, P. J. , Slater, D. , Watkins, R. W. , and Macdonald, D. W. (2007). Learned food aversion with and without an odour cue for protecting untreated baits from wild mammal foraging. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 102, 410–428.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Frazier W. C. , and Westhoff D. C. (1978). ‘Food Microbiology.’ 3rd edn. (McGraw-Hill: New York.)

Frost, R. L. , Parker, R. W. , and Hanna, J. V. (1989). Detection of the pesticide compound 1080 (sodium monofluroacetate) using fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The Analyst 114, 1245–1248.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | Hannan-Jones M. (2002). AF20020109: Determination of fluoroacetate in chicken wingettes and Foxoff baits to assess their degradation in the environment. Alan Fletcher Research Station Pest Management Chemistry Report. Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Sherwood.

King D. R. , Kirkpatrick W. E. , Wong D. H. , and Kinnear J. E. (1994). Degradation of 1080 in Australian soils. In ‘Proceedings of the Science Workshop on 1080. Miscellaneous Series 28’. (Eds A. A. Seawright and C. T. Eason.) pp. 45–49. (The Royal Society of New Zealand: Wellington.)

Kinnear, J. E. , Sumner, N. R. , and Onus, M. L. (2002). The red fox in Australia – an exotic predator turned biocontrol agent. Biological Conservation 108, 335–359.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Kirkpatrick W. E. (1999). Assessment of sodium monofluroacetate (1080) in baits and its biodegradation by microorganisms. M.Sc. Thesis, Curtin University of Technology, Perth.

Korn, T. J. , and Livanos, G. (1986). The effect of dosing technique on the 1080 content of meat baits. Australian Wildlife Research 13, 455–460.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | McLeod R. (2004). ‘Counting the Cost: Impact of Invasive Animals in Australia 2004.’ (Pest Animal Control Cooperative Research Centre: Canberra.)

McIlroy, J. , and Gifford, E. (1988). The effect of rainfall and blowfly larvae on the toxicity of 1080 treated meat baits used in poisoning campaigns against wild dogs. Australian Wildlife Research 15, 473–483.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Oogjes G. (1996). The ANZFAS view of vertebrate pest control using chloropicrin fumigation and 1080 poisoning. In ‘Humaneness and Vertebrate Pest Control’. (Eds P. M. Fisher and C. A. Marks.) pp. 9–12. (Ropet Printing: Melbourne.)

Ozawa, H. , and Tsukioka, T. (1989). Determination of sodium monofluroacetate in soil and biological samples as the dichloroanilide derivative. Journal of Chromatography 473, 251–259.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Parfitt R. L. , Eason C. T. , Morgan A. J. , Wright G. R. , and Burke C. M. (1994). The fate of sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) in soil and water. In ‘Proceedings of the Science Workshop on 1080. Miscellaneous Series 28’. (Eds A. A. Seawright and C. T. Eason.) pp. 59–66. (The Royal Society of New Zealand: Wellington.)

Robards G. E. , and Michalk D. L. (1975). An evaluation of dryland pastures for sheep grazing at Trangie. Final report to Australian Wool Corporation and Department of Agriculture, NSW. Department of Agriculture, NSW, Sydney.

Saunders G. , and McLeod L. (In press). Fox management strategies – a review of recent developments. Bureau of Resource Sciences, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Saunders G. , Coman B. , Kinnear J. , and Braysher M. (1995). ‘Managing Vertebrate Pests: Foxes.’ (Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra.)

Saunders, G. , McLeod, S. , and Kay, B. (2000). Degradation of sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) in buried baits. Wildlife Research 27, 129–135.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Snedecor G. W. , and Cochran W. G. (1989). ‘Statistical Methods.’ 8th edn. (Iowa State University Press: Ames, IA.)

Staples L. , McPhee S. , Bloomfield T. , and Wright G. (1995). Foxoff fox baits: stability, lethal efficacy and degradation in soil. In ‘Proceedings of the 10th Vertebrate Pest Control Conference, Hobart’. pp. 444–445.

Tourtellotte, W. W. , and Coon, J. M. (1951). Treatment of fluoroacetate poisoning in mice and dogs. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 101, 82–91.
| PubMed | Venables W. N. , and Ripley B. D. (2002). ‘Modern Applied Statistics with S.’ 4th edn. (Springer: New York.)

Weaver, S. (2003). Policy implications of 1080 toxicology in New Zealand. Journal of Rural and Remote Environmental Health 2, 46–59.
West P. , and Saunders G. (2003). Pest Animal Survey 2002 – an analysis of pest animal distribution and abundance across NSW and the ACT. NSW Agriculture, Orange.

Wheeler, S. H. , and Oliver, A. J. (1978). The effect of rainfall and moisture on the 1080 and pindone content of vacuum-impregnated oats used for control of rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus. Australian Wildlife Research 5, 143–149.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Williams J. M. (1994). Food and fibre markets and societal trends: implications for pest management. In ‘Proceedings of the Science Workshop on 1080. Miscellaneous Series 28’. (Eds A. A. Seawright and C. T. Eason.) pp. 20–32. (The Royal Society of New Zealand: Wellington.)

Winstanley, R. K. , Buttemer, W. A. , and Saunders, G. (1999). Fat deposition and seasonal variation in body composition of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Australia. Canadian Journal of Zoology 77, 406–412.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Wong, D. , Kirkpatrick, W. , Kinnear, J. , and King, D. (1991). Defluorination of sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) by microorganisms found in bait materials. Wildlife Research 18, 539–545.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |