Does streptobacillary arthritis reduce house mouse population density, activity and damage to sorghum crops?

Abstract

An experiment to examine the eVect of streptobacillary arthritis on mouse populations was conducted in maturing sorghum crops in mouse-proofed pens. There were three treatment pens and three control pens in which mice with and without clinical signs of streptobacillary arthritis were introduced, respectively. A constant mouse density (533 mice ha ¡1 ) was introduced to the pens by releasing 12 mice in each pen. The sex ratio of introduced mice was also constant by releasing in each pen nine males and three females. Mean track index was lower in treatment pens than in control pens, indicating that streptobacillary arthritis reduced the activity of mice. However, this was not translated into a reduction in other population responses. Mean mouse density at harvest, percentage of female pregnant at harvest, yield loss caused by mice and a feeding index (oil card index) did not diVer signiWcantly between treatment and control groups. A plausible explanation for these Wndings was that mice with the clinical signs might be less active but were able to consume as much grains as mice without the clinical signs because food was in abundant supply.

Managing crop damage caused by house mice (Mus domesticus) in Australia

“…DSM 12112 has been reported to cause arrested pregnancy and abortion in mice (Sawicki et al 1962). Kaboodvandpour and Leung (2007) examined the effect of S. moniliformis on mouse population density, in maturing sorghum crops in mouse-proofed pens. They find no significant differences between treatments and control groups.…”

“…Future research is required to assess the reliability of abundance indices and abundance estimators for monitoring house mice. This can be done using correlations between trap successes, track and oil card indices with known/estimated mouse densities and yield losses caused by mice (Kaboodvandpour & Leung 2007).…”