Australian farmers warn of looming mouse plague as rodent numbers surge across WA and SA, urging action on rejected solutions

Farmers say an easy solution to the mouse plague has been rejected Australian farmers are facing a severe mouse plague that threatens crops and grain stores across multiple states, with populations surging in South Australia and Western Australia. Despite calls for a simple, effective solution, authorities have rejected proposals that farmers say could quickly reduce rodent numbers. The outbreak has been described by growers as overwhelming, with mice invading homes, damaging machinery, and consuming stored grain. In South Australia, farmers report being unable to escape the infestation, saying “you literally can’t get away from them.” Similar conditions are emerging in Western Australia’s grain belt, where numbers are rising rapidly ahead of the harvest season. Experts have labeled mice as “ultimate breeding machines” due to their rapid reproduction rates, with females capable of producing up to 10 litters per year. This biological trait allows populations to explode under favorable conditions, such as those following a bumper crop season that left abundant food sources in fields. Farmers have urged the adoption of zinc phosphide baiting as an immediate and cost-effective measure to curb the plague. Although, regulatory approval for widespread use of the chemical has been delayed or denied in some areas, citing concerns about off-target effects on native wildlife and secondary poisoning risks. Authorities instead recommend integrated pest management strategies, including habitat reduction, hygiene measures, and monitoring. Farmers argue these methods are too slow and labor-intensive to match the scale of the current outbreak, leaving them to bear significant financial losses as crops are destroyed before harvest. Industry groups continue to lobby for emergency access to approved baits, emphasizing that timely intervention is critical to protecting both the current harvest and long-term food security. Without rapid action, they warn the plague could persist into the next growing season, compounding losses for already strained rural communities.