Landholders are being asked to monitor mice number, and use the MouseAlert reporting system.
District grain growers are being urged to check paddocks for mouse numbers and record mouse activity as part of a national campaign aimed at early detection and effective control ahead of this year’s winter crop.
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Concerns about mouse numbers were front of mind at the latest meeting of the National Mouse Group (NMG).
NMG is a Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) investment, developed to co-ordinate action to counter mouse plagues and comprising specialist researchers, grain growers, advisers and industry stakeholders.
GRDC supported mouse researcher Steve Henry from CSIRO is encouraging growers to monitor and log mouse activity this season through the free MouseAlert, via X (formerly Twitter) using @MouseAlert or through the FeralScan Pest Mapping app.
MouseAlert is a free online tool that allows growers to record and view mouse activity in their area, aiding in the collective efforts of the National Mouse Group to track and manage mouse populations effectively.
Mr Henry said monitoring also had a key role in providing organisations, such as CSIRO, with a more comprehensive understanding of mouse activity, which could assist in research that informed and improved management strategies for growers.
"We are urging growers to get out of their utes and check their paddocks,“ he said.
“Even if you think mouse numbers may be low, get out, walk through paddocks and look closely for any signs of current mouse activity.
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“High stubble loads can hide the signs of mouse activity.”
If left unchecked, a mouse population can quickly escalate and result in crop losses, reduced yields, and increased costs associated with pest control measures.
In addition to eating crops, mice can also damage infrastructure such as irrigation systems and farm buildings.
“This year, we are seeing localised and patchy mouse activity.
“In some areas, good summer rains could lead to increased mouse numbers, but conversely, flood events may have helped to keep mouse populations low.
The key message is to monitor.“
Growers who record high numbers are advised to apply control measures when background food is at its lowest, which is generally at sowing, to give mice the best chance of finding and eating the bait and to protect germinating crops.
Growers should also be aware that the emergency permit for ZnP50 expired at the at the end of December 2023, so 25g/kg zinc phosphide baits (ZnP25) are currently the only registered bait available.
Zinc phosphide bait must be spread according to the label rate of one kilogram per hectare.
Growers are reminded, as with the use of any registered product or product under permit, to report unexpected outcomes (including lack of efficacy or off-target effects) directly to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority.
For more information go to the GRDC Mouse Management page.
