Degradation of sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) in buried fox baits

The degradation of 1080 in buried Foxoff® baits was investigated. Baits were exposed to 5 different treatments: shelf-stored controls, prevailing weather, no rainfall, average weekly rainfall and twice average weekly rainfall. Curvilinear regression models were used to model the rates of decay of 1080. These predicted that under normal rainfall conditions, baits would become non-lethal to working dogs at 2.2 weeks and foxes at 2.8 weeks. Management implications of these results are discussed.