Australian farmers struggle with mice: They enter houses and installations

The situation comes at a time when farmers are already under pressure due to unstable supplies of fuel and fertilizer, which is linked to global geopolitical tensions.

Farmers in affected regions are investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in reseeding destroyed crops or spending hours placing poison baits in fields.

“It’s a big expense, and it’s not just the cost of bait,” says farmer Geoff Cosgrove, who farms 14,000 hectares in Mingenew, Western Australia.

He states that mice are present in houses and installations at night, and that they can be heard and felt, which further psychologically exhausts farmers.

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Record numbers

Agronomist and farmer Belinda Eastough estimates that some fields have up to 8,000 to 10,000 mice per hectare.

He states that conditions are particularly favorable this year due to record harvests and the availability of food in the fields, which has led to a population explosion.

– This is a nightmare – she said, describing the situation on her properties.

Australian science agency CSIRO researcher Steve Henry says it’s already a “monumental problem”.

He explains that mice reproduce extremely quickly, making any population control during the critical seeding stages difficult.

According to him, farmers are under constant pressure because rodents not only destroy crops, but also affect the mental health of people who deal with them every day.

Extra pressure

Farmers report that they are additionally affected by the increase in fuel and fertilizer prices, which makes it difficult for them to fight against damage.

Experts warn that without coordinated action and long-term management of the mouse population, the situation may further deteriorate in the coming months.

(Vijesti.ba)