FARM WEEKLY | 'Worse than 2021': growers push for ZP50 bait to battle mouse plague

Mouse populations in Western Australia are now being reported above levels seen during the 2021 eastern states plague, raising serious concern as seeding continues.

Coverage from Farm Weekly highlights extreme densities across the grainbelt, with reports of thousands of mice per hectare and activity well beyond recognised plague thresholds.

Grain Producers Australia RD&E spokesperson Andrew Weidemann said the scale of the outbreak is creating real pressure at a critical point in the season.

“We’re seeing mouse numbers in parts of Western Australia that exceed what was experienced during the 2021 plague in the eastern states,” Mr Weidemann said.

“That level of pressure during seeding puts crop establishment at immediate risk and reinforces the need for effective control tools.”

Growers have also raised concerns about the performance of current bait settings, with calls continuing for access to higher-strength options to match the scale of the problem.

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