Increased mouse activity

Mallee grain growers have been urged to be on alert for increased mouse activity, with significant economic damage at sowing expected in some areas.

While there has been no repeat of the mammoth plague of mice that troubled farmers during the 2011 floods in northern Victoria, recent monitoring by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) indicated that mouse abundance is on the rise across both Victoria and South Australia, fuelled by ample food and cover as a result of last year’s bumper harvest. 

CSIRO researcher Steve Henry, who has been surveying mouse activity for a GRDC-funded project, said there was a build-up in numbers occurring at all monitored locations in Victoria’s grain belt. 

Quambatook grain grower and Victorian Farmers Federation vice president Brett Hosking said monitoring experts were ready should action need to be taken, including mass baiting on paddocks.

To read more of this story, grab a copy of Friday’s Guardian (March 31).