CANBERRA. A plague of mice consuming crops and stored grain across New South Wales and Queensland has prompted a joint response from Australian and British agricultural authorities. The infestation, described by local officials as the worst in living memory, has destroyed an estimated 1.2 million hectares of winter crops in the past six weeks alone.
British experts from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are due to arrive in Sydney on Wednesday to advise on containment strategies previously tested in the UK. Their expertise focuses on biocontrol methods and chemical deterrents that limit secondary poisoning of native wildlife.
The scale of the outbreak has forced farmers to abandon traditional pest management. In Dubbo, graziers report entire sheds filled with rodent carcasses. The economic impact is expected to exceed 500 million Australian dollars as supply chains for livestock feed are disrupted.
Australian authorities have approved an emergency permit for the use of bromadiolone, an anticoagulant bait normally restricted due to its impact on raptors and scavengers. The decision follows warnings from the Invasive Species Council that the plague could trigger cascading ecosystem damage if left unchecked.
British consultants from the University of York’s rodent behaviour unit are also offering long-term monitoring protocols to predict future outbreaks using satellite imagery and soil moisture data.
This is a developing story.
