Mouse plague set to hit Aussie farmers in 2017: scientists

Scientists on Tuesday warned Australian farmers to brace for an upcoming mouse plague, after an unusually wet spring created ideal conditions for breeding.

There is a high chance of an infestation later in the year as a wet spring and mild start to summer have contributed ideal conditions not only for growing crops throughout Victoria and South Australia but also for mice to breed, said scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

"We've had probably one of the wettest springs on record and that's led to a terrific harvest, so that means that there's probably a lot more food in the system than there is in normal years," CSIRO's Steve Henry told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Tuesday.

"And with a milder summer, the mice can continue breeding. What can happen is if there are a lot of mice in the system when farmers start to sow, the mice get switched on to that grain that's been put onto ground," Henry said.

"They can actually damage significant areas of the crop before it even gets out of the ground."

The last mouse plague hit southern Australian in 2011, when millions of hectares of farmland were ravaged by hungry mice.

The pests covered ground in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia, eating their way through wheat and other grains vital to the local economy. Endit