Avoidance of Bird Repellents by Mice

-It is believed that mammalian chemosensory irritants are not aversive to birds and vice versa. Nevertheless, few avian repellents have been tested against mammals. For that reason, we evaluated the efficacy of 1.0% w/v methyl anthranilate, orthoaminoacetophenone, 2-amino-4',5'-methoxyacetophenone, 2-methoxyacetophenone, and veratryl amine as mouse repellents in 3-hr no-choice drinking tests. Relative to ingestion of plain water, all test substances significantly reduced (P < 0.05) intake. Orthoaminoacetophenone was the most effective repellent, with intake reduced to levels statistically indistinguishable from zero. Key Words--Chemical repellents, chemosensory, mice, Mus musculus, orthoaminoacetophenone.