Farmers advised to prepare for spring mice spike

The Lachlan Livestock Health and Pest Authority is encouraging farmers to monitor their paddocks now to ensure they are prepared to manage a potential mouse plague this spring.

Lachlan LHPA’s senior ranger, Craig Ridley, says as the weather warms, mice which have been dormant during winter will breed and build up in numbers.

"Recent seasonal conditions and a large carry-over population from autumn have provided ideal conditions for mice to proliferate," he said.

"Now that the warmer spring weather has arrived, we’re encouraging farmers to walk through their crops and check for mice activity and start planning control measures and baiting.

"Crops that have started to flower and develop seed pods are ideal feed sources and targets for mice.

"If control activities aren’t undertaken now it’s likely that the mice population will continue to build and inflict economic damage prior to harvest."

Mr Ridley said LHPA rangers could provide advice on options for controlling mice in each situation.

"Rangers at all our offices are able to provide accurate and individual on-farm advice for managing mice," he said.

"We are not providers of broadacre bait but are able to provide information on early detection, provide (crop) perimeter bait materials, as well as bait for use around sheds and other farm buildings, advise and instruct on ‘bait card’ techniques and assist with designing of bait stations for on-farm situations.

"After baiting, monitoring should continue for seven to 14 days to ensure that baiting has been effective.

"It’s critical that farmers plan ahead and consider their bait requirements as early as possible to avoid delays when demand picks up over the coming months."

Media contact: Kylie Dunn 6391 3720 / 0428 465 378