Data on flea larvae survival following exposure to black-tailed prairie dog scat, 2016-2018

We collected fecal pellets from six black-tailed prairie dogs in captivity. Prairie dogs were provided free access to non-treated grain (oat groats) or fipronil-treated grain for 5 days. Two prairie dogs received non-treated grain and four prairie dogs received fipronil grain. During each day of the feeding trial, prairie dog fecal pellets were collected, stored in sealable plastic bags, labeled by treatment, and frozen. Fecal pellets from days 2, 3, 4, and 5 were placed in 1.5 milliliter (mL) centrifuge tubes, ground into morsels and powder (fine particles for flea larvae to eat) with a disposable polypropylene pestle, separated as 0.50 milligram (mg) subsamples into pre-labeled centrifuge tubes, and frozen. Oropsylla montana flea [...]