Nest area marking

Grasso, D.A., Sledge, M.F., Le Moli, F. Mori, A. and Turillazzi, S. (2005). Nest-area marking with faeces a chemical signature that allows colony-level recognition in seed harvesting ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Insect Soc., 52, 36-44. 

When compared with a water control, mice avoided the nest box containing fox fecal odor, spending less time in the box and visiting it less frequently. They also avoided the area surrounding the nest box. When the data obtained from the fox odor and rabbit odor trials was compared, the aversive response to fox odor appeared to be retained. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) appears to be an opportunistic predator of house mice. MacDonald (1980) has shown that paths used by foxes are marked with urine and feces relative to their frequency of use, hence avoidance of fox feces by house mice may reduce the likelihood of mice being predated. Correspondingly, the odor of fox feces inside nest boxes resulted in a strong avoidance response by house mice when compared with both water and with rabbit fecal odor. 

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