Foxoff® Baits are now available as individual cut baits.
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Foxoff® Baits are now available as individual cut baits.
The FOXOFF® range of pail sizes
After nearly fifteen years simplifying fox control programmes across Australia, FOXOFF® has undergone a major facelift to keep it at the forefront of the war against Australia’s most insidious predator.
FOXOFF® was developed in the late 1980’s and early 1990s in response to huge lamb and catastrophic wildlife losses due to foxes.
The FOXOFF® Project as it was known back then, not only involved developing a highly effective and canid specific bait matrix, but it revolutionised the methodology and thinking behind fox baiting programs nationally.
Working in very close cooperation with government agencies, farmer organisations, Land Protection Boards and Landcare groups across the country, a whole new system of fox control was developed.
Professor Linton Staples, Managing Director of ACTA explained the research and trialling that was involved in registration of Australia’s first factory manufactured 1080 bait was formidable. “Some of the early trials at Pukapunyal involved the laying and monitoring of hundreds of bait stations,” Professor Staples explained. “Trials involved hundreds of bait sites proved the palatability of the matrix against other common bait types including meat, cooked and dry liver, and lamb tongues.” he said. He explained one of the main drivers behind the development of FOXOFF® was finding a shelf-stable matrix that did not require refrigeration. “By having a shelf-stable product that would not go off or become mouldy before being used was to allow thorough control programmes to be conducted over several weeks. “
Professor Staples said that while the shelf stability of the product was a key advancement, removing the mess of field prepared fresh baits greatly simplified baiting programmes for farmers and land managers. “With a bait that was proven to be at least as good as existing baits, but without the mess and contamination issues associated with fresh baits, farmers now had a simpler method available to attack their fox problems,” he said.
Fifteen years on, the FOXOFF® matrix remains the same: tried and tested, proven simple and attractive for foxes to find and soft and easy to chew so it breaks down in the stomach quickly releasing it’s lethal dose.
Professor Staples explained all aspects of the bait were considered during the lengthy research and development phase. “As an environmental precaution, FOXOFF® matrix was also designed to break down relatively quickly in the field through bacterial and mould action. This was in the event that baits that may have been moved or cached as part of a foxes natural behaviour - but not picked up by other foxes - would be rendered inert within a short period of time,” he said. He said that this was to minimise risks to non target animals such as working dogs at the end of a baiting program.
“Regardless of this in-built safety mechanism, as a precaution, residual baits should always be retrieved at the completion of a baiting program and buried or burned.” Professor Staples stressed.
Professor Staples described the new FOXOFF® Econobait presentation as a great step forward in fox control options for farmers and land managers. “FOXOFF® is now available as individually made baits in a range of new plastic pails with resealable lids including packs of 10, 20, 50, 100 & 200 baits,” he said. The traditional trays of 12 x 60g baits and 30 x 35g Econobaits are also still available. “The new presentations will help further simplify fox control programs across Australia.”
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