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Development of a Preferred Bait for Quelea Control Pages: 9 Published: Jan 1983
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View License Agreement Three factors that could influence bait acceptance and palatability (seed size, hardness, and color) were evaluated on small groups of African red-billed quelea (Quelea quelea). The birds were first adapted to feeding on mixed grain from automatic two-choice preference testing devices that alternated positions of the standard and test baits every 5 min. Before testing, the birds were exposed to all levels or formulations of bait for 6 h per day for five days. Preference test data were obtained in four 6-h sessions by using relative consumption (percent preference for test bait) as the dependent measure. Particle sizes tested ranged from 0.3 to 1.8 mg/granule; 6.0 mg hulled proso millet was the standard. All quelea preferred standard whole seed to granules of millet. Ground millet flour, bentonite, and different moisture levels (8, 10, 14, or 16%) were used to achieve different bait pellet textures. This variable had an effect on preference at the lowest (8%) moisture level, indicating that soft, dry pellets are significantly rejected by quelea. Color preference data indicated that red or yellow-green colored millet seed was rejected when compared with the standard yellow millet; however, these effects were not within acceptable levels of statistical significance (P < 0.07). When light levels were reduced and the color-preference test replicated, significant (P < 0.01) preference changes were noted, suggesting that feeding behavior tended to be random with the color stimuli made less visible. | ||
