Victorian grain growers warned to be on alert for increasing mice numbers

With mice numbers in “plague proportions” in parts of NSW, Victorian grain growers are being urged to monitor the situation to avoid an outbreak.

Mice watch: If numbers did get to levels of an outbreak in Victoria, Birchip Cropping group’s James Murray says growers should bait six weeks out from sowing.

VICTORIAN  grain  growers are being urged to be on alert, but not alarmed at mice numbers in the state.

Birchip Cropping Group’s James Murray said numbers were around but they were not in “plague proportions” as seen in other parts of Australia.

“Numbers in paddocks are characterised, depending on if paddocks had been grazed in the summer, then sheep have eaten the feed source for the mice,” Mr Murray said.

“Another situation is if there has been no summer grazing and there has been spilt grain at harvest — which is more of an issue in the Wimmera.

“By in large, mice numbers are in check, and numbers don’t warrant any bait as of yet.”

However, Mr Murray said growers would definitely be putting bait behind the seeder come sowing this season.

“We are alert to it but not alarmed,” he said.

“Growers have been active in buying infrastructure to deal with mice numbers.”

And if numbers did get to levels of an outbreak, Mr Murray said growers should bait six weeks out from sowing.

“But we are not in that situation yet,” he said.

“We had big numbers of mice in 2017, and we are not near that yet.”

For Wimmera grain growers, SMS rural services agronomist Adrian King said growers were reporting a few mice issues in northern Horsham and a few in Jeparit, but nothing was “alarming”.

“But we are monitoring,” Mr King said.

“Talking to farmers, if they are seeing mice they are acting, and I would advise them to get on top of the situation.”

He said big lag times in getting baiting products could become an issue.

“Farmers should be proactive and have bait on hand as there could be delays and they may not be able to purchase it,” Mr King said.

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