Australian Mouse Plague – Burning Issues – Free PDF Download

• Australian prison to be evacuated after mice move in
• A plague of mice that has ravaged vast swathes of eastern Australia has forced the evacuation of a prison while authorities repair gnawed electrical wiring and clear dead and decaying mice from walls and ceilings.
• The current plague is being called one of the worst plagues in decades and started being reported around mid-March in Australia’s eastern states. Live Science reported in March as a result of the “rampaging mice”, some farmers lost entire grain harvests “while hotels have had to close because they can’t keep the critters out of the rooms.”

• Around 200 staff and 420 inmates have transferred from the Wellington Correctional Center in rural New South Wales state to other prisons in the region while cleaning and repairs take place, Corrective Services Commissioner Peter Severin said.
• He also said “The health, safety and wellbeing of staff and inmates is our No. 1 priority so it’s important for us to act now to carry out the vital remediation work.”

• Millions of mice have caused havocin the grain-growing region of Australia’s most populous state for months, devouring crops and haystacks as well as invading homes, businesses, schools, hospitals and prisons.
• The most common complaint about the plague is an ever-present stench of mice urine and decaying flesh. People report being bitten by mice in bed. Mouse carcasses and excrement in roof guttering are polluting farmers’ water tanks and causing sickness.
• The remediation work at the prison will include investigating ways to protect the facility from future mice plagues, which are a phenomenon largely unique to Australia.
• the mice infestation was worst in prison buildings that weren’t built from concrete.

What causes a mouse plague?

• Female mice reach sexual maturity at around 6 weeks of age and are prolific breeders. Breeding begins in spring and continues into autumn, given suitable weather conditions. The length of the breeding season is influenced by food supply and seasonal conditions.
• An extended breeding season can lead to a population explosion in autumn, where up to 1400 mice per hectare have been recorded on the Darling Downs in Queensland.
• Plagues usually happen when rain follows several years of drought. The current plague is the worst that many can remember in some areas.

• The mice have got into wall cavities, into roof spaces. They’re dead but then they start obviously decaying and then the next problem is mites.

Can mouse plagues be predicted?

• Monthly trapping surveys are undertaken at various sites on the Downs and in central Queensland. Data collected on body size, sex and breeding status are used to generate predictive models. Plagues can often be predicted up to 6 months in advance and warnings are distributed through the local media.

Question:

• What is mice plague? Explain the adverse effects of the plague on Australian farmers.

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