Farmers’ crops have been destroyed with region’s mice problem ‘worst it’s ever been’

‘They were running across my feet’: Killarney farmer says mice problem was worst in at least 30 years.

Ian Wallace said he's never seen the problem this bad.

While regional New South Wales has been overrun by a devastating mice plague for months, Southern Downs farmers have reported record numbers of the rodents sparking concerns of an infestation.

Killarney farmer Neil Gustafson said while mice were not uncommon on his farm, in the last few weeks their growing numbers were extremely concerning.

Mr Gustafson said he grew sunflowers, but the crop had been annihilated by the rodents.

“At night they run across my feet,” Mr Gustafson said.

“There’s droves of them around the house too, but that’s sealed so they can’t get in.”

Mr Gustafson said he believed it was at least 30 years since he had seen this many mice on his property.

“You just step on them when you’re walking, because you can’t see them,” he said.

There is a four – six week wait to get new baiting products.

The longtime farmer said little could be done to manage the infestation.

“What’s the good?” he said.

“You can get rid of one lot, and another lot comes along.

“So we just put up with it, nothing’s done about it, and we’re not even thought of, really.”

He said people outside farming communities had little understanding as to just how tough life on the land had become.

Killarney Co-Op general manager Marissa Costello said farmers had been complaining of growing mice numbers for months.

“Anywhere near cultivation, the mice are very bad and the farmers are having it pretty tough,” Ms Costello said.

Ms Costello said the problem has been made worse with demands for traps and bait seeing long waiting times.

Olsen Brothers’ Produce partner Ian Wallace said he's never seen the mice problem this bad.

Ian Wallace, who is a partner at Olsen Brothers’ Produce, agreed saying it was around a four- to six-week wait for supplies.

“Some of it is being diverted down south, and some if it was because of overseas shipping,” Mr Wallace said.

Mr Wallace said normally farmers baited during dryer months, but the products have been in demand year-round.

“From August last year until now, people have been baiting,” Mr Wallace said.

“It hasn’t been this bad … it’s the worst it’s been in maybe 20 years.”

A Southern Downs Regional Council spokeswoman said a motion was raised in a Pest Management Advisory Committee meeting this month for Mayor Vic Pennisi to raise the mice plague at the Council of Mayors forum to “find a way forward”.

You can track and log data via the CSIRO’s mouse tracker map.

Demand for mouse baiting products has been year-round.

Originally published as Farmers’ crops have been destroyed with region’s mice problem ‘worst it’s ever been’