Australian scientists used wheat scent to confuse mice, cutting seed loss by 74%

Australian scientists have tested a non-toxic way to protect wheat seeds from hungry mice by making it harder for the rodents to locate them. In an experiment carried out in 2021, instead of poisoning the mice or using bait, the researchers sprayed diluted wheat germ oil across farm plots to camouflage the smell of wheat seeds.According to a report by The University of Sydney, the field experiment was carried out on a farm about 10 kilometres north-west of Pleasant Hills in New South Wales. During the experiment, researchers tested five different treatments across 60 plots to see whether changing the smell around newly sown wheat could reduce the damage caused by mice.Mice rely heavily on smell to find seeds underground. As the smell of wheat was spread across the surrounding area, the rodents could no longer easily work out where an individual seed was buried.