'It's like a decaying body': Australian farmers battle mouse plague
Summary
Farmers in parts of Australia are facing a serious mouse infestation that is damaging crops and homes. This mouse problem is worse than past outbreaks and is causing farmers to spend a lot of money and time controlling the mice to protect their crops.Key Facts
- Large numbers of mice are invading farms and homes in Western Australia and South Australia.
- The mice are eating grain crops, forcing farmers to spend money on re-planting and poison bait.
- The plague is worse than the one in 2021, which also affected parts of New South Wales and Queensland.
- Record harvests in recent years left plenty of spilled grain, providing food that helped mouse numbers grow.
- Summer rain helped grass and plants grow, giving mice additional food.
- Some farmers estimate up to 10,000 mice per hectare in heavily affected fields.
- Farmers are urged to quickly place bait right after planting seeds to protect new crops.
- The mouse problem is adding to existing challenges caused by fuel and fertilizer supply issues linked to the US-Israeli conflict in Iran.
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