title: Poultry egg components as cereal bait additives for enhancing rodenticide based control success and trap index of house rat, Rattus rattus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the acceptance and efficacy of cereal bait containing different concentrations of poultry egg components in laboratory and poultry farms to control house rat, Rattus rattus (R. rattus).
  
  
  METHODS
  Acceptance of cereal bait containing different concentrations (2%, 5% and 10%) of poultry egg components such as egg shell powder (ESP), egg albumin (EA) and crushed egg shell as bait additives were studied after exposing them to different groups of rats in bi-choice with bait without additive. Behaviour of rats towards cereal bait containing 2% concentration of different egg components was recorded in no-choice conditions through Food Scale Consumption Monitor. In poultry farm predominantly infested with R. rattus, acceptance and efficacy of 2% zinc phosphide bait containing 2% EA and ESP was evaluated. Trap success of single rat traps containing chapatti pieces smeared with 2% EA and 2% ESP was also evaluated in poultry farm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In bi-choice tests, significantly (P<0.05) higher preference was observed for baits containing 2% and 5% ESP and all the three concentrations of EA compared to plain bait by female rats and that of baits containing 5% and 10% EA by male rats. In no-choice test, non-significantly higher consumption, number of bouts made and time spent towards bait containing 2% EA was found by rats of both sexes. In poultry farm, acceptance and efficacy of 2% zinc phosphide bait containing 2% EA and ESP was significantly (P<0.05) more than 2% zinc phosphide bait without additive. No significant difference was, however, found in trap success of single rat traps containing chapatti pieces smeared with 2% concentration of EA and ESP placed in the poultry farm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Present data support the use of 2% egg albumin and egg shell powder in cereal bait to enhance acceptance and efficacy of 2% zinc phosphide bait against R. rattus. This may further help in checking the spread of rodent borne diseases to animals and humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Neena
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singla
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Deepia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kanwar
keywords: Bait enhancers; Egg albumin; Egg shell; Rattus rattus; Rodenticide bait; Trapping