Physiological and Ecological Studies of Lycoris radiata Herb

2. Prevention of Mice-boring to Field Levees

Abstract

This paper reports the experimental study of the effects of cluster amaryllis (Lycoris radiata Herb.) on mice.
Experiments have shown that the Alkaloid contained in their bulbs keeps mice away.
1) Mice dug through a 10cm dirt wall in 27 minutes on an average. However, when cluster amaryllis were planted in the dirt wall the mice failed to penetrate the dirt wall.
2) Juice was extracted from cluster amaryllis bulbs and mixed with soil at the concentrations of 5% and 10% in volume. This resulted in a very hard soil, which mice failed to penetrate. Both the physical and the chemical changes in the soil are considered important factors for the results.
3) It was observed that mice avoided areas of soil on which cluster amaryllis juice had been sprinkled.
4) It was observed that mice avoided passing through cluster amaryllis plants growing at an average spacing of 1 flower stem per 23.07cm².
5) The juice extracted from cluster amaryllis bulbs was found to have mild toxic effects, upon autopsy of mice which died after being force-fed a 5ml dose. A 2ml dosage resulted in 2 hours of abnormal behavior, vomiting, obvious discomfort and palpitation, with no noticeable after-effects. The above effects are considered responsible for the avoidance of cluster amaryllis by mice.