Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference

Capitalizing on research directed toward oral contraceptives for humans, a wide variety of compounds are now under study for their practical value in inhibiting rodent reproduction to suppress detrimental populations. This paper discusses the specifications of ideal rodent chemosterilants and the advantages of chemosterilants over other methods of control and compares the potential values of chemosterilants acting on females, males, and both sexes. Specific situations are detailed where chemosterilants will be most valuable in rodent control, together with proposed methods of application. Chemosterilants are not expected to become a panacea for control, but since they are based on sound biological principles they should be a safe and effective approach to regulation of rodent populations.