Assessing Two Different Aerial Toxin Treatments for the Management of Invasive Rats
Aotearoa–New Zealand has embarked on an ambitious goal: to completely eradicate key invasive mammals by 2050. This will require novel tools capable of eliminating pests on a large scale. In New Zealand, large-scale pest suppression is typically carried out using aerial application of the toxin sodiu...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Animals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/3/309 |
| _version_ | 1797489535730319360 |
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| author | Tess D. R. O’Malley Margaret C. Stanley James C. Russell |
| author_facet | Tess D. R. O’Malley Margaret C. Stanley James C. Russell |
| author_sort | Tess D. R. O’Malley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aotearoa–New Zealand has embarked on an ambitious goal: to completely eradicate key invasive mammals by 2050. This will require novel tools capable of eliminating pests on a large scale. In New Zealand, large-scale pest suppression is typically carried out using aerial application of the toxin sodium fluoroacetate (1080). However, as currently applied, this tool does not remove all individuals. A novel application method, dubbed ‘1080-to-zero’, aims to change this and reduce the abundances of target pests to zero or near-zero. One such target is black rats (<i>Rattus rattus</i>), an invasive species challenging to control using ground-based methods. This study monitored and compared the response of black rats to a 1080-to-zero operation and a standard suppression 1080 operation. No difference in the efficacy of rat removal was found between the two treatments. The 1080-to-zero operation did not achieve its goal of rat elimination or reduction to near-zero levels, with an estimated 1540 rats surviving across the 2200 ha treatment area. However, 1080 operations can produce variable responses, and the results observed here differ from the only other reported 1080-to-zero operation. We encourage further research into this tool, including how factors such as ecosystem type, mast fruiting and operational timing influence success. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:17:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7773bbd8d015491584cf8f291b3f0909 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:17:57Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-7773bbd8d015491584cf8f291b3f09092023-11-23T15:47:40ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152022-01-0112330910.3390/ani12030309Assessing Two Different Aerial Toxin Treatments for the Management of Invasive RatsTess D. R. O’Malley0Margaret C. Stanley1James C. Russell2School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New ZealandSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New ZealandSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New ZealandAotearoa–New Zealand has embarked on an ambitious goal: to completely eradicate key invasive mammals by 2050. This will require novel tools capable of eliminating pests on a large scale. In New Zealand, large-scale pest suppression is typically carried out using aerial application of the toxin sodium fluoroacetate (1080). However, as currently applied, this tool does not remove all individuals. A novel application method, dubbed ‘1080-to-zero’, aims to change this and reduce the abundances of target pests to zero or near-zero. One such target is black rats (<i>Rattus rattus</i>), an invasive species challenging to control using ground-based methods. This study monitored and compared the response of black rats to a 1080-to-zero operation and a standard suppression 1080 operation. No difference in the efficacy of rat removal was found between the two treatments. The 1080-to-zero operation did not achieve its goal of rat elimination or reduction to near-zero levels, with an estimated 1540 rats surviving across the 2200 ha treatment area. However, 1080 operations can produce variable responses, and the results observed here differ from the only other reported 1080-to-zero operation. We encourage further research into this tool, including how factors such as ecosystem type, mast fruiting and operational timing influence success.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/3/309densityeradicationinvasive speciespredator-free<i>Rattus rattus</i>rodent |
| spellingShingle | Tess D. R. O’Malley Margaret C. Stanley James C. Russell Assessing Two Different Aerial Toxin Treatments for the Management of Invasive Rats Animals density eradication invasive species predator-free <i>Rattus rattus</i> rodent |
| title | Assessing Two Different Aerial Toxin Treatments for the Management of Invasive Rats |
| title_full | Assessing Two Different Aerial Toxin Treatments for the Management of Invasive Rats |
| title_fullStr | Assessing Two Different Aerial Toxin Treatments for the Management of Invasive Rats |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing Two Different Aerial Toxin Treatments for the Management of Invasive Rats |
| title_short | Assessing Two Different Aerial Toxin Treatments for the Management of Invasive Rats |
| title_sort | assessing two different aerial toxin treatments for the management of invasive rats |
| topic | density eradication invasive species predator-free <i>Rattus rattus</i> rodent |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/3/309 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tessdromalley assessingtwodifferentaerialtoxintreatmentsforthemanagementofinvasiverats AT margaretcstanley assessingtwodifferentaerialtoxintreatmentsforthemanagementofinvasiverats AT jamescrussell assessingtwodifferentaerialtoxintreatmentsforthemanagementofinvasiverats |