Bait for a pest

Abstract

Bait 20 for consumption by a target pest, the bait 20 comprising a substantially dry body 22 comprising a first constituent for the target pest, and a second constituent which is or includes a mollusc

Description

The present invention relates to a bait for ingestion by a pest, particularly but not exclusively a rodent, which includes a mollusc deterrent for a terrestrial mollusc. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 5 A ‘pest’ is usually considered to be an animal or insect that contributes to the spread of disease, adversely affects people or property, or is a nuisance in some way. Rodents are a common example of a pest, and rodenticides are used extensively by pest control technicians and farmers in the UK, as well as by members of the public, to control rodent populations. Other examples of pests include: possums, raccoons, 10 foxes, pigeons, gulls, weasels, rabbits, flies, mites, moths, ants, termites, and cockroaches. The definition of a pest will vary by region and by country, and the preceding list of pests is not intended to be exhaustive. Bait is often provided in a tamperproof bait station, or another suitable “safe” station, for a pest to gain access to the bait. Baiting may also be carried out in sewers and 15 burrows. The bait station is usually adapted to allow a target pest access to the bait, but to prevent non-target animals from accessing the bait. This aim is generally achieved with respect to preventing access by animals which are larger than the intended target. For example, a rodent bait station would normally prevent access by a fox. However, a smaller animal can still usually access the bait, particularly if it is 20 adept at climbing. This includes terrestrial molluscs such as slugs and snails. Terrestrial molluscs like slugs and snails are often considered as a hassle by gardeners, who may deploy slug pellets or another molluscicide to kill them. However, slugs and snails play an important role in ecosystems, and killing them in significant numbers can have a corresponding adverse impact on the animals that feed on them. 25 This in turn increases the risk that a predator or scavenger may gorge on the dead molluscs and receive a large dose of a poison. It is instead better to use physical barriers to try to prevent slugs and snails accessing particular places, such as by strategic use of materials which land molluscs will avoid, including: egg shell, copper band, copper tape, copper pest control mesh, copper oxide, straw pellets, wood 30 pellets, and wool pellets. However, these barriers are not always successful. At present, slugs and snails collectively consume a relatively large amount of bait which is intended for a different animal. Instances of bait consumption by terrestrial molluscs can normally be identified by the noticeable consumption marks left by slugs and snails (which differs from teeth marks of rodents, for example) and / or the presence of blue-coloured faeces in or around a bait station, which is a clear indication of bait consumption by slugs or snails. 5 Bait consumption by terrestrial molluscs is problematic for several reasons. First, where slugs and / or snails consume bait left for a particular target pest, this may be wrongly taken to indicate the presence (or continued presence) of the target pest - a so-called “false positive” indication. At a minimum this may lead to unnecessary additional baiting in some cases, causing unnecessary expenditure. However, it may 10 have a more serious impact if a pest control technician records an on-going pest problem (e.g. rodents), which may cause reputational and / or financial damage to a restaurant, shop, hotel or hospital. The consumption of bait by terrestrial molluscs may also hide the presence (or continued presence) of the target pest by virtue of bite marks from the target pest, such 15 as a rodent, being eroded or smoothed out by slugs or snails - a so-called “false negative” indication. Furthermore, terrestrial molluscs like slugs and snails are an important food source for many animals, including birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Even if a non-target animal like a bird is too large to enter a bait station and consume the bait, it may 20 consume slugs / snails that have accessed and consumed the bait and / or feed the same to its young. Poison from bait may also accumulate in other non-target animals further up the food chain, through predation or scavenging. Poison bait can therefore end up harming or killing animals which are not the intended target pest. It is an object of the present invention to reduce or substantially obviate the 25 aforementioned problems. STATEMENT OF INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided bait for consumption by a target pest as set out in claim 1. The bait has a substantially dry body which comprises a first constituent or ingredient for the target pest, and a second constituent or ingredient 30 which is or includes a mollusc deterrent in an amount suitable for (or sufficient for) deterring a terrestrial mollusc from consuming the bait. Optional features are set out in the dependent claims. The presence of a mollusc deterrent in the bait substantially mitigates consumption of the bait by a terrestrial mollusc like a slug or snail, which is not the target pest. The target pest is a rodent (e.g. a rat or mouse). Using a dry or desiccated bait also maximises bait longevity once deployed, and also minimises or delays mould growth 5 on the bait which may deter the target pest from consuming the bait. Bait consumption by land molluscs in the absence of the target pest is minimised or prevented altogether, helping to avoid a false positive indication of the presence of the target pest and also minimising bait wastage. Where bait is used to test for the presence of a particular target pest, bite marks from the target pest are clearly defined 10 in the dry bait and are not eroded by a land mollusc feeding on the area of the bite mark. That is, using the bait means that detection of a target pest can be established with a much higher degree of confidence, relative to use of a conventional bait. 15 20 For poison bait, the invention minimises the accumulation of poison up the food chain because slugs and snails do not ingest and carry the poison. That is, secondary and tertiary poisoning of land mollusc predators (such as thrushes or hedgehogs) as well as predators of those animals (such as sparrowhawks for thrushes, or badgers for hedgehogs) can be substantially avoided. The substantially dry body may be a solid body and / or have a predefined shape. The substantially dry body may be a grain, in which case the shape may vary between pieces of bait. The term “substantially dry” should be interpreted to mean that the bait has relatively low or minimal liquid content (such as water content), i.e. it is not a ‘wet’ bait or paste. However, there may be a small amount of liquid / moisture in or distributed through the bait to ensure it is not too difficult for the target pest to consume. 25 The term “target pest” means a rodent or rodent species. The mollusc deterrent may not be 100% effective in deterring consumption of the bait by any and all land molluscs, but it should be provided at a sufficient amount in the bait to deter the majority of molluscs. The amount required depends in part on the identity of the mollusc deterrent. 30 The identity of the mollusc deterrent may be selected according to the target pest the bait is intended for, and / or according to the terrestrial mollusc species in the area the bait is being deployed. Similarly, the amount of the mollusc deterrent in the bait may be selected or tailored according to one or more of the same factors. The first bait constituent may be selected according to the target pest. This is because a particular constituent may be suitable for one pest and not for another, e.g. because 5 the target pest is repelled by it. The second bait constituent may be selected according to the target pest. This is because a particular mollusc deterrent may have an unwanted deterrent effect on the target pest. In other words, the combination of constituents may depend on the identity of the target pest due to e.g. the particular taste palate of a target pest. The palatability 10 of the second bait constituent for the target pest should be either palatable or neutral (i.e. neither palatable nor unpalatable). It will be appreciated that there is some variation across terrestrial molluscs worldwide, and one mollusc deterrent may be suitable for one mollusc but not another. However, in general, most land molluscs are intolerant or deterred by similar ingredients and so 15 the deterrent constituents presented in this specification should be suitable for CM deterring most land mollusc species. CM The mollusc deterrent may include any one or more ingredients that slugs and / or snails (preferably both) find unattractive, indigestible, distasteful and / or offensive to their 1— senses, particularly taste and / or smell. The mollusc deterrent may be a food for the 20 target pest. The amount of mollusc deterrent in the bait is preferably insufficient to deter the target pest from the bait. That is, the mollusc deterrent may - in the amount present in the bait - have minimal or no deterrent effect on the target pest. The mollusc deterrent may be provided in any suitable quantity in order to achieve the 25 intended aim of substantially deterring land molluscs from feeding on the bait. The mass of mollusc deterrent used may depend on the efficacy of the mollusc deterrent for a particular land mollusc (i.e. how strong the deterrent effect is for a mollusc), and the mass of the pest animal expected to consume the bait. In particular, the amount of mollusc deterrent in the bait is selected to be high enough 30 to substantially deter land molluscs from feeding on the bait, whilst also being low enough to not deter the target pest from feeding on the bait. The mollusc deterrent is preferably not a molluscicide. This ensures that any land mollusc that may consume or attempt to consume the bait is not killed by doing so. The first constituent may include an attractant for the target pest. The second constituent may include an attractant for the target pest. The attractant may include a 5 food (preferably dry food) such as sugar or grain or cereal. Non-toxic bait (or ‘detector’ bait) may be used to establish whether a particular target pest is present in a location. The first constituent includes a poison for killing the target pest. Bait containing a poison (or toxic bait) may be used for pest population control after the presence of a target pest population has been established in a location via use of a non-toxic bait, 10 but may also be used ab initio. The mollusc deterrent may include a plant or plant material, such as one or more of a plant seed, stem, leaf and / or root. The plant or plant part(s) may be aromatic or pungent. The plant may be a flowering plant, a herbaceous plant or another plant such as a fern. Preferably the plant is selected to deter terrestrial molluscs whilst being 15 substantially neutral or attractive for the target pest to eat. CM The mollusc deterrent may include one or more flowers or flower petals. The flower may be aromatic or pungent. Preferably the flower(s) or petal(s) is / are selected to deter terrestrial molluscs whilst being substantially neutral or attractive for the target pest to 1— ____ eat. 20 The mollusc deterrent may include a herb. The herb may be aromatic or pungent. Preferably the herb is selected to deter terrestrial molluscs whilst being substantially neutral or attractive for the target pest to eat. The mollusc deterrent may include a powder, which is preferably an anhydrous or hygroscopic powder. 25 The mollusc deterrent may include any one or more of: fennel; rue; fern; astrantia; hydrangea; euphorbia; rosemary; geranium; Japanese anemone; begonia; sage; cyclamen; California poppy; nasturtium; lantana; Jacob’s ladder; columbine; snapdragon; yucca; lavender; wormwood; catmint; catnip; coffee grounds; caffeine or caffeine salt; salt; vinegar; grapefruit; diatomaceous earth; baking soda; potassium 30 peroxide; cornmeal tea; rooibos tea; garlic or garlic extract; calcium; caraway seed; carvone; cinnamamide. This list is not intended to be exhaustive and other mollusc deterrents are contemplated for use in the invention. As noted above, the amount of mollusc deterrent required in the bait to achieve the deterrent effect may vary for different deterrents. For example, some ingredients such as caffeine or cinnamamide may have the desired mollusc deterrent effect at less than 1% of the bait mass. Other ingredients like carvone may have a mollusc deterrent 5 effect at about 1% of the bait mass. Some other ingredients may need to be provided at higher relative amounts in the bait to achieve a mollusc deterrent effect. The actual amount of the mollusc deterrent is only important in as much as it deters molluscs from feeding on the bait, and it does not deter the target pest from the bait. Preferably, the mollusc deterrent includes any one or more of: fennel; rue; fem; 10 astrantia; geranium; Japanese anemone; begonia; sage; cyclamen; nasturtium; lantana; Jacob’s ladder; columbine; snapdragon; yucca; catmint; coffee grounds; caffeine or caffeine salt; salt; grapefruit; diatomaceous earth; potassium peroxide; cornmeal tea; rooibos tea; garlic or garlic extract; calcium. This may be preferred for embodiments where a rodent is the target pest because any 15 of these ingredients may act as a mollusc deterrent without deterring a rodent from eating the bait. Where the target pest is a rodent, the poison is a rodenticide. The term “rodenticide” is intended to mean any compound, composition or formulation which is toxic or poisonous to a rodent, particularly when ingested. 20 The poison may include an anticoagulant, such as difenacoum or bromadiolone or similar. The poison may include a naturally-sourced or naturally-occurring product such as calcipherol (also known as ergocalciferol) and / or cholecalciferol. This is particularly applicable where the poison is a rodenticide. The poison or rodenticide may be provided at about 0.005% w / w, for example. 25 Where the target pest is a rodent, the first and second constituents may each be independently selected to include one or more of: fennel; rue; astrantia; geranium; Japanese anemone; begonia; sage; cyclamen; nasturtium; lantana; Jacob’s ladder; columbine; snapdragon; yucca; caffeine or caffeine salt; salt; grapefruit; potassium peroxide; cornmeal tea; rooibos tea; garlic or garlic extract; calcium. 30 Any of these ingredients may act as a mollusc deterrent whilst being suitable for a rodent to eat, and in some cases desirable for a rodent to eat. The mollusc deterrent may be a pest attractant. For example, where the target pest is a rodent, fennel can be used to both deter molluscs and bait rodents. The bait may include one or more deterrent constituents for at least one non-target pest. This allows the bait to be customised to deter other animals from eating the bait, 5 in addition to land molluscs. This may be necessary when baiting a larger pest for example, because a bait station may be large enough to allow secondary pests (other than land molluscs) to access the bait. The one or more deterrent constituents may include one or more of: a plant, a flower, a herb, and an aromatic or pungent food for the non-target pest. 10 The non-target pest deterrent may include a plant, such as one or more of a plant seed, stem, leaf and / or root. The plant or plant part(s) may be aromatic or pungent. The plant may be a flowering plant, a herbaceous plant or another plant such as a fem. Preferably the plant is selected to deter a non-target pest (which is not a terrestrial mollusc) whilst being substantially neutral or attractive for the target pest to eat. 15 The non-target pest deterrent may include one or more flowers or flower petals. The flower may be aromatic or pungent. Preferably the flower(s) or petal(s) is / are selected to deter a non-target pest (which is not a terrestrial mollusc) whilst being substantially neutral or attractive for the target pest to eat. The non-target pest deterrent may include a herb. The herb may be aromatic or 20 pungent. Preferably the herb is selected to deter a non-target pest (which is not a terrestrial mollusc) whilst being substantially neutral or attractive for the target pest to eat. The non-target pest deterrent may include a powder, which may be an anhydrous or hygroscopic powder. 25 For a rodent as a non-target pest, the one or more deterrent constituents may include at least one of: hydrangea, euphorbia, California poppy, mint, lavender, amaryllis, wormwood, sweet pea, daffodil, euphorbia, wood hyacinth (or squill), oak, catnip, camphor plant, elderberry, bay leaf, peppermint, peppermint oil, crushed pepper and onion, vinegar, baking soda, blue cheese, liquorice, poppy seed, bitter almond, Epsom 30 salt (magnesium sulphate), citronella, eucalyptus, naphthalene, rosemary, onion. This list is not intended to be exhaustive and other non-target pest deterrents are contemplated for use in the invention. For an insect as a non-target pest, the one or more deterrent constituents may include a sweetener. Sweeteners can be distasteful to insects, and may also attract a target pest (typically mammalian or avian). The sweetener may include one or more of the following: aspartame, erythritol, sucralose, neotame, advantame, and saccharin, 5 although this list is not intended to be exhaustive and other sweeteners are contemplated for use in the invention. The sweetener may also mask the presence of the mollusc deterrent for the target pest (e.g. a rodent). It is noted that molluscs are particularly attracted to some things such as beer, milk, sugary liquid and yeast. It is therefore preferred not to include any of these things in 10 the bait. The substantially dry body may be provided in the form of a pellet or a block, such as a wax-coated block or waxy block. If a wax-coated block is used, mollusc deterrent may be provided in the coating. The substantially dry body may contain or be made of whole grain such as wheat. 15 The mollusc deterrent may be added to the bait during manufacture. This may be done at the same time as the poison is included, or in a separate preceding or subsequent step during bait formation. The bait may include a binder for the constituents forming the bait body. The binder may be a pest attractant in some embodiments. The binder may include a petroleum-20 based substance or a polymer, for example. The mollusc deterrent is provided in an outer portion or outer layer of the bait body. This can reduce the overall amount of mollusc deterrent per item of bait. For example, the bait body may be sprayed or coated with the mollusc deterrent. In the case of the mollusc deterrent in the bait comprising solid pieces, then a binder may 25 bind the mollusc deterrent to the bait body. The bait may be provided in a container or trap such as a bait station. Any conventional trap or container suitable for keeping the bait substantially dry may be used. The bait may be used for pest control. Preferably, the bait is used for rodent population control, particularly culling where the bait includes a rodenticide. 30 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional schematic side view of a first embodiment of bait; 5 and Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional schematic side view of a second embodiment of bait. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of bait, indicated generally at 10. The bait 10 is a solid, substantially dry mass in the form of a block or pellet 12. The bait 10 in this 10 embodiment is rodent bait. The body 12 of the bait 10 is made of a dry foodstuff 12 fora rodent. The dry foodstuff in this embodiment is a grain or cereal. A poison which is a rodenticide is included in the body 12 to make the bait 10 a toxic CM bait for a rodent. The poison may be any suitable rodenticide and is provided in a 15 suitable quantity for killing a rodent. 1— The body 12 of the bait 10 also includes a mollusc deterrent. Examples of suitable mollusc deterrents which are also suitable as a foodstuff or attractant for a rodent include: fennel, rue, Astrantia, geranium, Japanese anemone, begonia, sage, cyclamen, nasturtium, lantana, Jacob’s ladder, columbine, snapdragon, yucca, 20 caffeine, grapefruit, cornmeal tea, rooibos tea, and garlic or garlic extract. It is not envisaged that all of these constituents would be provided in the body 12 together, because the combined flavour of all of these constituents with the grain / cereal may be unpalatable to a rodent. However, the body 12 may comprise a subset of one or more of these foodstuffs with the grain / cereal. 25 In some variations of this embodiment, there may be a different mollusc deterrent such as any one or more of: fern; hydrangea; euphorbia; rosemary; California poppy; lavender; wormwood; catmint; catnip; coffee grounds; salt; vinegar; diatomaceous earth; baking soda; potassium peroxide; and calcium. Whilst some of these constituents may be repellent for both molluscs and rodents, it is contemplated that the 30 amount of the mollusc deterrent may be selected so as to deter molluscs but not rodents, and / or that another constituent could be added to mask the presence of the mollusc deterrent from a rodent but not a mollusc. A binder is used in the body 12 to bind the foodstuff, the rodenticide and the mollusc deterrent together. In some embodiments, the mollusc deterrent can be added to the 5 bait by soaking / impregnating the bait body 12 in the deterrent and then drying the bait 10. In some embodiments, pieces of the mollusc deterrent are bound or compressed together with the rest of the ingredients in the body 12. It will be appreciated that the amount of mollusc deterrent in the bait is selected to be high enough to deter most / all molluscs from feeding on the bait, and also low enough 10 to not deter most / all rodents from feeding on the bait. In use, the bait 10 is deployed in one or more bait stations (not shown) in a location where a target pest population is believed to be present. In the above embodiments, the expected target pest population is a rodent population. It is also expected that a terrestrial mollusc population is present in the location. The bait 10 in the station is 15 accessible by both the target rodent pests and terrestrial molluscs. CM After a period of time has passed, the bait station(s) are checked to see what has happened to the bait. Where bait remains, most or all of the bait should be devoid of marks indicating mollusc consumption activity. Similarly, where bait remains, evidence 1— of rodent tooth marks should be visible in the solid body 12. Where substantially no 20 bait is left, the implication is that a rodent has eaten all of the bait. It may be necessary to re-bait the location if continued rodent activity is suspected. However, by using the poisonous bait in this way, the rodent population should eventually be culled. It should be noted that bait stations are not essential and the bait may be deployed on 25 its own. However, this increases the likelihood that a non-target species consumes or disturbs the bait, and / or that the bait may degrade more quickly e.g. due to damp conditions. Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of bait, indicated generally at 20. The bait 20 is a solid, substantially dry mass of grain 22. The bait 20 in this embodiment is again 30 rodent bait. An outer portion 24 of the bait body 22 is also made of grain but has been coated with a mollusc deterrent. In some embodiments, the coating may be provided by spraying the bait with the mollusc deterrent and then drying the bait 20. This means that the exterior of the bait 20 is primed to deter terrestrial molluscs, but the middle of the bait 20 is not. This may be preferred where the mollusc deterrent has some deterrent effect for rodents and thus it is advantageous to minimise the amount of mollusc deterrent. 5 The thickness of the outer portion or layer 24 may vary in different embodiments. The mollusc deterrent is selected from the options provided for the first embodiment. The bait 20 does not include a rodenticide in this embodiment. The grain acts as a rodent attractant, and the mollusc deterrent may supplement this if it doubles up as a second rodent attractant. 10 In use, this bait 20 can be deployed in a similar manner to that described with respect to Figure 1. However, because it is a non-toxic bait, the purpose is to deploy the bait in a location where a pest population could be present, but there is significant uncertainty as to whether the pest is the target pest. The expected pest population is a rodent population. It is also expected that a terrestrial mollusc population is present 15 in the location. The bait 20 in the bait station is accessible by both the target rodent CM pests and terrestrial molluscs. CM After a period of time has passed, the bait station(s) are checked to see what has happened to the bait. Where bait remains, most or all of the bait should be devoid of 1— marks indicating mollusc consumption or activity. Similarly, where bait remains, 20 evidence of rodent tooth marks should be visible in the solid body 12 if a rodent population is present. Where substantially no bait is left, the implication is that a rodent has eaten all of the bait. It may then be prudent to re-bait the location using a poisoned bait as described with respect to Figure 1. Alternatively, if the bait remains substantially intact, then this provides evidence in 25 support of the absence of a target pest (rodent) population. It should be noted that the embodiment described with respect to Figure 1 could be modified to lack a poison / rodenticide, and the embodiment described with respect to Figure 2 could be modified to include a poison / rodenticide. The present embodiments are only examples of means to put the invention into practise. 30 It will be appreciated that other embodiments are envisaged in which the target pest is a pest other than a rodent, and the identities and amounts of the foodstuff and mollusc deterrent are selected accordingly. 11 12 24 For example, in another embodiment bait is provided for a raccoon. The bait is similar to the bait described with respect to Figure 1 in some respects. However, the bait includes a poison which is a raccoon poison. The mollusc deterrent is selected to be a foodstuff or attractant for a raccoon. 5 In addition, because the raccoon bait may be provided in a bait station which is large enough for access by a rodent, which is a non-target pest, the bait is provided with a rodent deterrent. In some embodiments, the rodent deterrent is also a mollusc deterrent. Examples of suitable rodent deterrents, which are in some cases also a mollusc 10 deterrent, include: hydrangea, euphorbia, California poppy, mint, lavender, amaryllis, wormwood, sweet pea, daffodil, euphorbia, wood hyacinth (or squill), oak, catnip, camphor plant, elderberry, bay leaf, peppermint, peppermint oil, crushed pepper and onion, vinegar, baking soda, blue cheese, liquorice, poppy seed, bitter almond, Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate), citronella, eucalyptus, naphthalene, rosemary, and onion. 15 In any of the above embodiments, a sweetener or other flavour masking agent may be used to disguise the presence of the mollusc deterrent. The embodiments described above are provided by way of example only, and various changes and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. Bait for consumption by a target pest, the bait comprising a substantially dry body comprising a first constituent for the target pest, and a second constituent in addition to the first constituent, in which the second constituent is or includes5 a mollusc deterrent in an outer portion or outer layer of the substantially drybody in an amount suitable for deterring a terrestrial mollusc from consuming the bait, in which the first constituent includes a poison for killing the target pest, in which the target pest is a rodent and the poison is a rodenticide, and in which the mollusc deterrent includes one or more of: rue, fem, hydrangea, Japanese10 anemone, begonia, sage, cyclamen, California poppy, nasturtium, lantana,Jacob’s ladder, columbine, snapdragon, yucca, catmint, catnip, coffee grounds, caffeine or caffeine salt, vinegar, grapefruit, diatomaceous earth, baking soda, potassium peroxide, rooibos tea, caraway seed, and carvone.

2. Bait as claimed in claim 1, in which the amount of mollusc deterrent is 15 insufficient for deterring the target pest from the bait.C\l 3. Bait as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the mollusc deterrent is not a£\J molluscicide.1—4. Bait as claimed in any preceding claim, in which one or both of the first1—____ constituent and the second constituent includes an attractant or food for the 20 target pest.

5. Bait as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the mollusc deterrent includes a plant or plant material.

6. Bait as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the mollusc deterrent includes a flower.25 7. Bait as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the mollusc deterrent includesa herb.

8. Bait as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the mollusc deterrent further includes one or more of: fennel, astrantia, geranium, salt, cornmeal tea, garlic or garlic extract, and calcium.30 9. Bait as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the first and secondconstituents are each independently selected to include one or more of: rue,11 12 24Japanese anemone, begonia, sage, cyclamen, nasturtium, lantana, Jacob’s ladder, columbine, snapdragon, yucca, caffeine, grapefruit, potassium peroxide, and rooibos tea.

10. Bait as claimed in any preceding claim, further including one or more deterrent 5 constituents for at least one non-target pest.

11. Bait as claimed in claim 10, in which the one or more deterrent constituents includes one or more of: a plant, a flower, a herb, or an aromatic or pungent food for the non-target pest.

12. Bait as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the substantially dry body is 10 provided in the form of a pellet or a block or a wax-coated block.

13. Bait as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the substantially dry body includes grain or whole wheat.

14. A container or trap comprising bait as claimed in any preceding claim.

15. Use of bait as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13 or a container or trap as claimed 15 in claim 14 for pest control.

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