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Restriction Note: |
APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE. |
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Summary, Etc. Note: |
Summary: The mode of action of rat repellents was investigated in a series of experiments concerned with food consumption, olfactory sensitivity and discrimination, adaptation and habituation, and performance. A variety of chemical repellents were used both in the animal's food and in the air. Comparisons were also made among laboratory strains and the Norway rat (both wild and tame), with and without lesions in the olfactory bulb. It was concluded that the odor of a chemical makes little or no contribution to the repellency of a chemical or to its value as a deterrent except when it has a signalling value from association with a painful taste or when it is a novel stimulus. Additional conclusions relate to methodology for testing the effectiveness of repellents, theory, and needs for future research. (Author). |