What’s the Best Way to Store Toxic 1080 Baits?

Heather M. Crawford; Ricarda Fenske; Gerard Smith; Teen Ryan; Jamie (Frog) Taylor; Daniel Carlisle; Debbie Dowden; Dean Butcher; Tracey L. Kreplins; Jim Miller; Malcolm Kennedy; Patricia A. Fleming

doi:10.1111/emr.70009

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What’s the Best Way to Store Toxic 1080 Baits?

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

What’s the Best Way to Store Toxic 1080 Baits?

Heather M. Crawford, Ricarda Fenske, Gerard Smith, Teen Ryan, Jamie (Frog) Taylor, Daniel Carlisle, Debbie Dowden, Dean Butcher, Tracey L. Kreplins, Jim Miller, …

Ecological management & restoration, Vol.26(2), e70009

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/emr.70009

Appears in Open Access via Read & Publish Agreements

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Abstract

invasive predator

invasive species management

population control

Being able to store toxic baits could allow livestock producers to target ‘hot spots’ of predator activity, supplementing or even replacing broadscale baiting, therefore avoiding potential risk of bait‐resistant populations. We compared 1080 dose recovered from dried meat baits (DMB; camel, horse and kangaroo) and sausage baits stored by different methods (shed, locked transport box, freezer, cryo‐vacuumed) to identify whether they were still lethal, and address concern that freezing/thawing could result in loss of the water‐soluble 1080 toxicant. We developed a bait collection method to halt microbial activity (preserving 1080 dose), allowing collection of baits manufactured under field conditions by five regional Recognised Biosecurity Groups according to their own schedule and methods. We assayed 351 baits (including 43 negative control baits, i.e., no toxicant), just over half (54%) of which were manufactured by us, using consistent meat masses, 1080 doses, and drying methods. For freshly manufactured baits, there was good consistency in bait manufacture, with no significant difference in recovered 1080. For stored baits, there was no effect of time on recovered 1080 for up to 2 months (maximum length of study), indicating different storage methods were equally effective in maintaining lethal baits. Manufactured sausage baits contained significantly more 1080 than DMB manufactured for this study, and showed substantial variability in recovered 1080 dose, which could reflect gun handling error. Storage in a locked transport box resulted in marked insect damage, likely rendering baits unattractive to target species. Freezing baits did not result in reduced 1080 dose. The majority (93%) of deployed/stored baits had a lethal 1080 dose recovered (13/192 baits were below the LD 50 for a 20 kg dingo). Dry shed storage is prescribed as best practice, but freezing baits does not reduce their toxic dose. Future testing for longer durations of storage would be beneficial.

Details

Title: What’s the Best Way to Store Toxic 1080 Baits?
Authors/Creators: Heather M. Crawford - Murdoch University
Ricarda Fenske - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Gerard Smith - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Teen Ryan - Goldfields Nullarbor Rangelands Biosecurity Association Kalgoorlie Western Australia Australia
Jamie (Frog) Taylor - Wild Dog Control Australia
Daniel Carlisle - Espérance
Debbie Dowden - Mission Australia
Dean Butcher - Animal Pest Management Services Cannington Western Australia Australia
Tracey L. Kreplins - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Jim Miller - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Malcolm Kennedy - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Patricia A. Fleming - Murdoch University
Publication Details: Ecological management & restoration, Vol.26(2), e70009
Publisher: Ecological Society of Australia and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
Number of pages: 13
Grant note: Western Australian Wild Dog Action Plan 2016-2021Win Kirkpatrick (DPIRD), Meja Aldrich (Australian Wool Innovation's WA Wild)Council of Australian University Librarians
We acknowledge that this work was carried out across Whadjuk, Ballardong, Kalaamaya, Wudjari, and Badimaya Country. Thanks to Marieke Jansen and Max Sielmen for making and collecting baits, John Mullen and Stuart Dawson for collection and transportation, John Stuart for assisting with bait manufacture. Thanks for advice from Win Kirkpatrick (DPIRD), Meja Aldrich (Australian Wool Innovation's WA Wild Dog Coordinator), Geoff Brooks, Ashley Dowden, and Linda Vernon. Open access publishing facilitated by Murdoch University, as part of the Wiley - Murdoch University agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.
Identifiers: 991005762554107891
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s).
Murdoch Affiliation: Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability; School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.35 Zoology & Animal Ecology; 3.35.274 Wildlife Ecology
Web Of Science research areas: Ecology
ESI research areas: Environment/Ecology