Laboratory evaluation of WBA 8119 as a rodenticide for use against warfarin-resistant and non-resistant rats and mice.

Feeding tests were carried out in the laboratory to evaluate WBA 8119 as a potential new rodenticide against wild common rats (Rattus norvegicus), ship rats (R. rattus) and house mice (Mus musculus). The results obtained are compared with data previously obtained for difenacoum, another member of the same series of 4-hydroxycoumarin anticoagulants. With warfarin-resistnat and non-resistant common rats, complete kills were obtained using a concentration of 0-0005% for 2 days, or 0-001% for 1 day: a 1-day test at 0-0005% killed 6 out of 10 and 17 out of 20 of the two types respectively. At 0-0005% complete kills of resistant ship rats were obtained after 2 days exposure and of resistant house mice after 1 day, but at 0-002% for 2 days there was some survival. Non-resistant ship rats and house mice were all killed after 2 days feeding on 0-002% bait. In 2-day palatability tests, R. norvegicus showed no significant aversion to the poison at 0-002% and 100% mortality was obtained. The poison was significantly unpalatable to R. rattus at 0-005% and to M. musculus at 0-005% and 0-002%, although with the last species these concentrations gave complete kills. It is concluded that WBA 8119 has greater activity than other known anticoagulants against the three commensal species examined. The laboratory results suggest that concentrations between 0-0005% and 0-002% would be suitable for field use against common rats, and between 0-002% and 0-005% for ship rats and house mice.