Regional communities across Western Australia are sharing alarming accounts of life amid a worsening mouse infestation, with residents describing rodents invading homes, vehicles and even beds as the crisis escalates.
Large numbers of mice and burrows have been discovered throughout farming areas in the Mid West, Wheatbelt and Goldfields over recent weeks.
Agriculture specialists warn the growing outbreak — widely referred to as a “mouse plague” — could inflict more than $1 billion in damage on the industry.
CSIRO mouse researcher, Steve Henry, explained that a mouse plague is generally recognised when populations reach around 800 mice per hectare.
However, WA farmers have reportedly recorded numbers exceeding 8000 mice per hectare in recent weeks.
As the infestation spreads, residents across affected regions have detailed the severe impact the rodents are having on daily life.
One South Australian farmer said his daughter, who lives in the Shire of Moora in the Wheatbelt, woke to find a mouse crawling inside her bed.
“I have learned to mouse-proof our house . . . it’s pretty horrific,” he told Daily Mail about the infestation.
In Gidgegannup, one woman revealed the rodents had caused major damage to her vehicle after chewing through electrical wiring.
“My car’s wiring was chewed by the mice . . . they did about $9000 in damage,” she posted on social media.
Another Wheatbelt resident said she feared a repeat of last year’s destruction, when mice damaged valuable belongings and vehicles.
“We had extensive damage, they ate the electric cables on our four-wheel-drive and right through the child’s car seat and seatbelt,” she lamented.
Wongan Hills business owner Elyssa Giedraitis also turned to TikTok for advice on managing the infestation while raising children in the home.
“I live in town, I thought I was safe from this mouse plague,” she said in a video.
“I was not: there are mice everywhere . . . how am I supposed to get rid of these things?”
Shire of Morawa president Karen Chappel described the overwhelming scale of the outbreak, saying travelling at night now sounded like “driving over bubble wrap that you pop”.
Ms Chappel also recounted an incident involving a Morawa resident who reportedly had their toe bitten by a mouse while sleeping.
“It’s quite mentally distressing, it’s having a huge impact on businesses,” she said.
Grain Producers Australia western regional director and Wheatbelt farmer Duncan Young said the outbreak had added another major burden to an industry already under pressure.
“You’ve got massive fertiliser hikes due to the war (in Iran), you’ve got fuel shortages and fuel price hikes,” he told Daily Mail.
“This outbreak is another cost on top of that, and potentially in a year where budgets were already pretty tight before the war began.
“Farming is a very big revenue driver for Australia with our exports. Potentially, you could be talking about over a billion dollars worth of damage.”
Farmers across the state say they are already suffering significant financial losses. Latham farmer Dylan Hirsch revealed the infestation had cost his farming business approximately $1 million.
“We’ve spent approximately $100,000 on mouse bait and spreading operations this year. Normally we would budget around $30,000,” Mr Hirsch said.
“But the biggest impact has been crop damage. We’ve had early-sown canola paddocks completely damaged by mice, reducing yield potential by about one tonne per hectare [around $800 per hectare] and requiring resowing at about $200 per hectare.”
Following weeks of mounting pressure from residents and farmers demanding stronger intervention, authorities have approved emergency measures aimed at controlling the outbreak.
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has authorised the emergency use of ZP-50 bait, a stronger poison designed for areas experiencing high levels of mouse activity.
The approval follows a $200,000 funding commitment from the Cook Government to assist local councils in tackling the growing plague.
