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23/07/2003
Sweet-toothed mice face 'death by chocolate'
Scientists at Warwick University have literally taken the phrase ‘Death by Chocolate’ as an inspiration to rid themselves of vermin.
Boffins believe that the tempting allure of their chocolate mousetrap will prove too much for the furry ones to resist.
A collaboration of the University of Warwick’s Innovation Direct service, a free consultancy service for SMEs and Sorex Ltd, a leading manufacturer of rodent control products, from Cheshire, has developed the mousetrap made out of chocolate-scented plastic.
A key part of the venture was to test what foods mice are most drawn to. Various essences were put into a cage to attract the rodents, including cheese, vanilla essence and chocolate. In contrast to the popular view that cheese is the mouse’s favourite nibble, trials of the mousetrap carried out by Innovation-Direct showed that most mice prefer chocolate.
University of Warwick researchers helped Sorex Ltd with design and technology to develop a chocolate essence enhanced plastic material and to conduct injection-moulding trials. Unlike other traps, chocolate essence is added to the plastic that makes up the mousetrap during production, so is an integral part of the product.
Martina Flynn, Rodent Control Product Manager with Sorex Ltd, said: “The partnership has led to the development of a unique product that is baitless, making it very easy to use in just one step.
"Innovation-Direct helped us develop this new material and process that could be applied to other rodent control devices. New developments are key to the future of rodent control both in the UK and overseas, and the project shows the importance of research in rodenticide technology to provide forward thinking solutions.”
(GMcG)
Boffins believe that the tempting allure of their chocolate mousetrap will prove too much for the furry ones to resist.
A collaboration of the University of Warwick’s Innovation Direct service, a free consultancy service for SMEs and Sorex Ltd, a leading manufacturer of rodent control products, from Cheshire, has developed the mousetrap made out of chocolate-scented plastic.
A key part of the venture was to test what foods mice are most drawn to. Various essences were put into a cage to attract the rodents, including cheese, vanilla essence and chocolate. In contrast to the popular view that cheese is the mouse’s favourite nibble, trials of the mousetrap carried out by Innovation-Direct showed that most mice prefer chocolate.
University of Warwick researchers helped Sorex Ltd with design and technology to develop a chocolate essence enhanced plastic material and to conduct injection-moulding trials. Unlike other traps, chocolate essence is added to the plastic that makes up the mousetrap during production, so is an integral part of the product.
Martina Flynn, Rodent Control Product Manager with Sorex Ltd, said: “The partnership has led to the development of a unique product that is baitless, making it very easy to use in just one step.
"Innovation-Direct helped us develop this new material and process that could be applied to other rodent control devices. New developments are key to the future of rodent control both in the UK and overseas, and the project shows the importance of research in rodenticide technology to provide forward thinking solutions.”
(GMcG)
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