Australia's mouse plague has reached a critical point, with towns across the country's grain belt facing a crisis of unprecedented proportions. The smell of urine, faeces, and decaying bodies permeates the air, a stark reminder of the overwhelming presence of these rodents. The situation is so dire that even seasoned farmers are shocked, with some areas experiencing a tenfold increase in mouse populations compared to typical plague levels. This crisis has led to a desperate search for solutions, with farmers and authorities grappling with the challenge of controlling the fast-breeding mice.
In Morawa, a town 350km north of Perth, the signs of the mouse plague are everywhere. From walls and ceilings to food stores and even beds, the rodents have infested every corner. The air is thick with their scent, and the ground is littered with dead mice. The situation is so dire that businesses have been forced to remove food from shelves each night and store it in sealed containers, and community facilities are struggling to keep rodents out. The psychological toll on residents is immense, with many showing remarkable resilience despite the constant battle.
The mouse plague is not limited to Morawa; it has also hit the state's south, around Esperance, and South Australia's Adelaide Plains and Yorke Peninsula. The perfect conditions for a rodent explosion in Western Australia, including heavy grain crops, summer hailstorms, and a hot, dry autumn, have created an abundant food source for mice. The situation is so dire that some farmers have had to replant entire crops, and many may struggle to break even this year.
The challenge for farmers is compounded by the limited options available to control the mice. In ordinary years, growers spread wheat baited with zinc phosphide across paddocks. However, this year, farmers needed a stronger, faster-acting poison. The higher-strength zinc phosphide bait, known as ZP50, is a Schedule 7 poison that releases toxic phosphine gas when it reacts with stomach acid or moisture. However, its use is strictly regulated, and permits are a numbers game, with regulators balancing the likelihood of the poison working against the risk of causing damage to endangered species.
The delay in obtaining permits for ZP50 has been a significant issue, with farmers in Western Australia claiming that bureaucratic delays meant the poison arrived too late to prevent substantial crop damage. The situation is reminiscent of a similar outbreak in eastern Australia in 2021, where farmers suffered crop losses of more than $100m. The estimated losses to WA farmers are expected to top $50m, with many having spent over $150,000 on rodent baits alone since December.
The mouse plague has also had a devastating impact on wildlife, with 96 dead or dying birds discovered at a golf course and school oval in Coorow. The WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is investigating the bird deaths to exclude disease and test for toxins. The situation is so dire that experts say there is a moment in every mouse plague where the tide ebbs, the scratching in the walls stops, and the mice vanish almost as suddenly as they arrived. However, whether Western Australia is nearing the end of its mouse crisis or merely the halfway point remains unknown.
In the meantime, farmers across WA and SA's grain belts are laying bait and hoping for the same sudden disappearance that has ended outbreaks before. The mice arrived almost overnight, and the question now is whether they will leave the same way. The mouse plague has highlighted the vulnerability of Australia's agricultural sector, with grain production accounting for 18m tonnes a year and exporting about 80% of its yield to 50 countries worldwide. The crisis has also raised questions about the effectiveness of regulatory processes in managing environmental disasters and the psychological toll on those affected. The mouse plague is a stark reminder of the fragility of our food systems and the need for innovative solutions to manage the challenges posed by invasive species.
