The horrific map which exposes the extent of Australia’s grim mouse plague as a shocking video emerges of rodents spilling out of a farm machine – so are they infesting your town?
- The CSIRO created Mouse Alert website to help tackle Australia’s rodent plague
- Farmers on Australia’s east coast have been inundated by mice this Autumn
- A video uploaded by a grain grower in Gunnedah shows how bad problem is
The extent of Australia’s revolting mouse plague has been revealed in an alarming new map by the CSIRO.
Stretching for over 1000km from southeast Queensland to the New South Wales-Victoria border, the online platform called Mouse Alert, shows a swath of red circles indicating a high number of rodents.
The east coast of Australia has been inundated by the unwanted visitors this Autumn with cooler weather and high crop yields creating perfect conditions for the pests to thrive.
According to the the national science body, the worst hit areas have been the Northern Tablelands, Central West and New England regions of NSW, but there has been speculation the plague could reach even Sydney in coming months.
The map shows particular concentrations of the mice around Narrabri, Coonabarabran and Moree.
The extent of Australia’s revolting mouse plague has been revealed in an alarming new map by the CSIRO (pictured)
Stretching for over 1000km from southeast Queensland to the New South Wales-Victoria border, the online platform called Mouse Alert (pictured), shows a swath of red circles indicating a high number of rodents
To shed light on what farmers are up against, Alex Laurie posted a video of dozens of well-fed mice pouring out of his grain grouper at his property in Gunnedah, northern NSW.
‘We’re not overrun, but I think that they’re at a level now where it’s going to start affecting the local economy,’ he told NCA Newswire.
In NSW alone there’s been an estimated $100million worth of damage to crops and grain.
Helpless residents have even said they’ve been bitten in the night by the rodents, while others have felt them crawling across their faces while they slept.
A woman sleeping in Goulburn woke up in the middle of the night to a mouse running through her tent (pictured)
Alex Laurie posted a video of dozens of well-fed mice pouring out of his grain grouper (pictured) at his property in Gunnedah, northern NSW
To gain control of the problem, the CSIRO and the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, say it’s important for members of the community to record observations through Mouse Alert.
‘Mice are a significant problem in Australia, causing severe economic, social and environmental damage during plagues,’ the website said.
‘Grain growing areas suffer damage to crops and to stored grain; rural businesses suffer damage from mice chewing stock and electrical wires; rural communities experience high levels of stress through the constant presence of mice.
‘Information you record can be used to manage mice more effectively to reduce the damage they cause and plan for control activities.’
There have been shocking reports of millions of mice swarming across southern Queensland and central New South Wales for months, leading to fears they could be heading to Sydney
While it may seem like residents living in Sydney, Brisbane and other larger cities won’t be affected by the mice plague, fears are growing the creatures are already on the way.
There has been speculation the plague could reach Sydney by August as rodents have been caught catching lifts to the city via trucks and food pallets.
An increase in mouse sightings has also been recorded this week in Sydney’s Western suburbs, where houses were damaged in Erskine Park and Parramatta.
The NSW government recently announced a $50million relief package to address the plague.