'Mouse plague' swarms homes, threatens crops following heavy rainfall
Blame it on the rain (that was fallin' fallin').
Hundreds of thousands of mice have swarmed parts of rural Australia, including communities in New South Wales, central Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia.
Rodents are barging into homes and creating a mess, several local news outlets report.
The population boom is likely due to heavy rainfall that contributed to a good harvest, Steve Henry, an expert with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) told news.com.au. The mice are steadily multiplying during the summer months, and the trend is expected to continue through winter.
Al Karanouh, mayor of a nearby town called Coonamble, says the mice pose significant sanitation risks, leaving droppings in homes and public spaces and creating a stench when they die.
"It’s quite a hard problem getting rid of them all," Karanouh told News.com.au.
While many farmers harvested before the infestation got out of hand, autumn crops are at risk as numbers continue to climb.
A period of cold weather or significant rain could put a dent in the mouse plague, as could a food shortage.
MOUSE PROBLEMS IN CANADA
Cold temperatures and decreased daylight in the early winter months are prime time for mice to enter homes in Canada.
“Every month of the year, mice are active. Research typically states that for every mouse you see, there are 15 or 20 others, and they reproduce every 21 days. So in 21 days, they're at that maturity where they can give birth again,” Bill Dowd, the founder and president of Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control told Weather Network reporter Marta Czurylowicz.
Dowd says that within the span of a year, two reproducing mice could lead to 5,000 mice in a home.
MOUSE-PROOFING YOUR HOME
Here are some tips on protecting your home against mice, courtesy of Dowd:
Check your home frequently. Look for openings or cracks that mice could breach.
Check your attic. Chewed wires are a good indication you have some unwanted visitors.
Keep your garage tidy Compost and garbage can attract mice, so try to keep this entry point clean.
With files from Marta Czurylowicz.Thumbnail image courtesy Pexels/Alexas Fotos.
