Increased mouse numbers near Geraldton prompts call for WA farmers to look and act to avoid plague risk

A big and rare increase in mouse numbers near Geraldton has prompted a call for farmers across the State to check for rodent activity and act quickly to avoid an explosion in numbers. Grains Research and Development Corporation-supported mouse researcher Steve Henry, a researcher at CSIRO, called for growers to assess paddocks saying accurate monitoring and early spring management were key to stopping numbers from escalating. The call follows last summer’s unrelenting mouse plague in the Eastern States, which destroyed crops, stock feed and equipment, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and creating major mental health issues. Although cold weather and baiting has caused some respite in recent months, there are concerns numbers could again swell when the weather becomes warmer. Mr Henry said it was difficult to predict whether the increased reports near Geraldton could lead to a plague, noting major mice infestations were rare in WA. “What we are concerned about is that it is very early in the spring to be getting reports of damage,” he said. “That means there probably has been a relatively high level of survival throughout the winter, and conditions are now becoming quite favourable for mice.” Mice begin to breed at the start of spring starting when they are just six weeks old, and litters of six to 10 pups are born every 19 to 21 days. Mr Henry said it was imperative farmers walk into their paddocks to spot mouse numbers and activity. “There is nothing that will make numbers go down from now on so what we are saying is for farmers to be really vigilant now and be prepared to bait,” Mr Henry said. He warned mouse populations could increase dramatically if conditions were favourable. With WA expecting a bumper grain crop, there could be ample food this summer, he said. “The best chance of success is to bait (before crops develop further). Mice may not eat baits if high quality seeds or pods are available,” he said. “By reducing the size of the population now, it lowers breeding potential.”