Farmers keep an eye on mouse numbers

Cropping farmers are already battling tough seasonal conditions. Now there are concerns mouse numbers are increasing.

Crop emergence throughout many of the growing areas is signalling another hurdle for grain growers, with concerns about mouse pressure and the potential need for baiting as the season progresses.

While mice are not reported to be in plague proportions, there are concerns the pest will add to the pressure already being felt in many cropping regions due to the dry conditions.

Justin Everitt of Aintree Park at Brocklesby in southern NSW in a crop of Coyote lupins. Justin is also the NSW Farmers grains committee chairman. Picture: Nikki Reynolds

At Brocklesby in Southern NSW, Justin Everitt said some mouse activity was evident.

The NSW Farmers grains committee chairman said the mice were not breeding up yet but as conditions got colder and crops emerged, it would be worth keeping an eye on the pest.

He still had 200ha of winter crop to sow and was hoping to be finished by next week.

“We haven’t had any crops emerge yet,” he said.

Once the crops emerge, the mouse pressure was likely to be higher.

Jason Mellings, who farms at Carron between Donald and Warracknabeal, said he had put baits out in one paddock and would continue to monitor mouse pressure.

He said problems with mouse numbers in crops could often be linked back to hygiene during harvest.

Victorian Farmers Federation grains group president and Berriwillock farmer Craig Henderson said the season was still dry in his area and he urged growers to be on the look out for mice.

“Where I am, the pressure is quite low,” he said.

Meanwhile, growers say they need continued access to ZP50, also commonly known as a “double-strength” mouse bait.

After initial lobbying by Grain Producers Australia and other representative bodies, licencing for the chemical was obtained; however, it expired in December last year.

In May 2021, GPA announced the approval of ZP50, and subsequent grower surveys have shown that the chemical is effective in controlling mouse numbers.

In a grower survey, the double-strength bait was rated, on average, nine out of 10.

Meanwhile, the counterpart, chemical ZP25 (at half the strength) was only rated by 47 per cent of growers to be effective at curbing mouse numbers in the survey.