Methodology for Measuring Taste and Odor Preference of Rodents

Taste enhancers and olfactory attractants are needed to improve b a i t acceptance for rodent control, but most methods for e v a l u a t i n g preference for taste and odor s t i m u l i are not s u i t a b l e for screening l a r ge numbers of such compounds. This paper describes two automated preference testers designed for t h i s purpose. The taste preference apparatus is based on the p r i n c i p l e of the brief-exposure, foods-together technique, whereby the animal b r i e f l y samples each food alone, in alternate sequence, before the two foods are presented together, in a l te r na te positions. The odor preference tester is based on an o pe n -f i el d maze, whereby the test animal samples each of four odor sources before preference behavior is recorded. Both devices are f u l l y automated (in both operation and data recording), are free of position bias, and produce preference determinations in relatively l i t t l e time; neither requires special t r a i n i n g of test animals. The design, operation, and a p p l i c a t i o n of each apparatus in rodent control is discussed and i l l u s t r a t e d .