Notice of Intent to Sole Source - “Field trial of fipronil-laced bait to control Ixodes scapularis immatures on rodents.”

The vendor and their subcontractors shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, and formulated acaricide-laced oral rodent bait together with bait delivery stations necessary to evaluate the impact of the fipronil-laced rodent bait on the feeding success of Ixodes scapularis immatures on rodent hosts, including Peromyscus mice. The vendor shall secure access to a sufficient number of field plots, represented by residential properties or natural areas, to ensure capture of an adequate number of rodents to allow for robust statistical comparison of infestation by Ixodes scapularis immatures on Peromyscus mice in treatment (rodent bait stations with fipronil-laced bait) versus control (rodent bait stations with untreated bait) plots, based on the assumption of 75% treatment efficacy. To ensure a robust evaluation of the intervention under field conditions, work is expected to include two consecutive intervention years. Outcome measures should minimally include documentation of: bait consumption; bait station use by rodents (via trail cameras); amount of fipronil in rodent plasma; rodent body weights; and infestation of rodents by immature ticks, including whether removed attached ticks are classified as healthy and removed while feeding or were dead in situ when removed; and density of host-seeking Ixodes scapularis nymphs in the spring of each year. The vendor will provide monthly reports and at the end of the field work all data will be sent to CDC/NCEZID/DVBD, Fort Collins, CO