The development of semiochemical lures for rats Rattus spp. and the Australian brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula

Control and monitoring methodologies for vertebrate population management most commonly utilise food-based lures like peanut butter, meat and aromatic pastes, like cinnamon. However, food-based lures are perishable and require frequent replenishment, factors that decrease control operation efficacy and increase costs. The limitations of  food-based lures have led researchers to consider new approaches for three of New Zealand’s most damaging pest mammals, the Norway rat Rattus norvegicus, the ship rat R. rattus and the Australian brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula. Semiochemical lures, commonly used for  invertebrate pest management, might address the limitations of food-based lures and provide benefits such as temporally consistent odour properties, ease of handling, long-life and behavioural-specific responses. However, their identification and use for vertebrate population management remains an underexploited opportunity. This study aimed to identify semiochemicals in foods that may act as effective lures for wild free-ranging rats and possums.