Mice run away on a farm in Gilgandra, New South Wales
(Picture: MELANIE MOERIS via REUTERS)Rural communities in New South Wales have been experiencing their worst plague of mice in decades, as the rodents have been infesting crops and getting into homes, hospitals and hotels.
Eyewitness video obtained by Reuters showed thousands of mice swarming around a farm in the town of Gilgandra - a five-hour drive northwest of Sydney.
The skin-crawling clips were too much for some social media users, with some calling it “disgusting”.
“Absolutely disgusting! Worst nightmare," said one Facebook user.
Another said: “Omg those poor people dealing with this mouse plague.”
Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, farmer Ron Mckay said: "At night... the ground is just moving with thousands and thousands of mice just running around."
#Mice numbers are exploding in many parts of NSW. Haystacks are being destroyed, silos invaded, winter crop sowing is at risk and there is a human health impact. @NSWFarmers is calling for action👉https://t.co/c17hSFMiVG#nswfarmers #miceplague pic.twitter.com/2HH8YnnqJM
— NSW Young Farmers (@NSWYF) March 16, 2021
Due to the ongoing plague, supermarkets are storing food in sealed containers and at least three patients in the local hospital have been bitten by the mice, the broadcaster said.
NSW Health confirmed that three people, who were attending hospital for non-rat or mice-related reasons, were bitten by mice while being treated at Tottenham, Walgett and Gulargambone in regional NSW.
Mice are still causing nightmares for farmers and rural communities in many parts of NSW, as evidenced by this friday night footage from a family farm near Gilgandra#nswfarmers #miceplague pic.twitter.com/Xe8yiBVFRm
— NSW Farmers (@NSWFarmers) March 14, 2021
"You can imagine that every time you open a cupboard, every time you go to your pantry, there are mice present," said Steve Henry, a rodent expert.
"And they’re eating into your food containers, they’re fouling your clean linen in your linen cupboard, they’re running across your bed at night."
Farmers in New South Wales have asked the government for help to fight the "drastic increase" in mice.
The NSW Farmers Association wants emergency permission to lay down the pesticide zinc phosphide to treat their grain.
"This mice situation is only getting worse," said NSW Farmers president James Jackson.
"Mouse control is very costly. The severity of the current plague has resulted in the need for multiple aerial and ground bait applications in cropping regions," he said.
