FARMERS are being urged to keep a close eye on mouse numbers and to act decisively if they think they have a problem.
“If you think you have a problem with mice, you probably do,” said Ian Hastings, chairman of the National Mouse Management Working Group (NMMWG).
“Numbers can be hard to assess in paddock, where they have they have stubble cover so get out in the paddock and have a really good look,” he advised.
Mr Hastings said farmers looking to protect newly sown crop should bait at sowing.
“The best time to bait is immediately behind the seeder.”
He said there were ample supplies of mouse bait for farmers to access.
“Stocks of zinc phosphide and zinc phosphide based products are not a problem at this stage, unlike in other years with high mice burdens.”
Mr Hastings said controlling mice now could also help reduce the potential risk of high levels of mice in following seasons.
“If left unchecked, mice can breed up quickly and potentially cause a problem the next year.”
Steve Henry, CSIRO researcher and a member of the NMMWG said a kilogram of wheat treated with zinc phosphide would contain up to 20,000 lethal doses of poison.
“When we talk about a plague being up to 1000 mice per hectare, an application rate of 1kg/ha is more than enough.”
He said farmers should not put out bait as a prophylactic measure but said it was prudent to err on the side of caution.
“There is no point putting bait out and wasting it if the numbers aren’t there, but as it is relatively cheap if you think you have some numbers it is good insurance to bait.”
Prices range from $3/kg for bait produced with zinc phosphide at baiting stations authorised by the South Australian government to $7/kg for a registered rodenticide.
Mr Henry said farmers in South Australia were taking their own grain to be processed at the baiting stations, while he said Victorian farmers were contemplating taking grain across the border to be treated.
There are no baiting stations manufacturing bait outside of South Australia.