An improved 1080 paste for control of possums (Trichosurus vulpecula)

A new 1080 paste (PTP) was developed by Pest-Tech Ltd. and then evaluated in a series of comparative trials with Pestoff possum paste (POP). The research indicated that PTP was significantly more palatable to captive possums than POP following 57 h of exposure to 'hot' conditions (hot conditions were 30degreesC for 6 h followed by 18 h at 13degreesC on a 24 h cycle). Acceptance by bees was low with significantly less PTP than POP removed by forager bees over a 30 h period. In the field, the control efficacy of both pastes was high (89%-94% kill), with no significant differences between treatments. Based on these results, it is recommend that PTP is registered for possum control in New Zealand.