Pests Expert Warns Of False Reports About Mouse Number

Pest experts have downplayed recent reports about a possible mouse plague in Australia. The reports that have been trending on both the mainstream and social media have caused panic to the general public. But pest experts and stakeholders have referred to these reports as sensational and baseless. In fact, they have described the situation as normal and completely under control.

A leading pest control expert warned that the continued inaccurate reporting about the mouse numbers is bad for the market. It could lead to distortion in the pesticide market and inefficiencies in managing the response. According to Animal Control Technologies managing director Linton Staples, the number of the mouse has been overplayed by some media reports. According to him, this year was not as bad as the reports are trying to portray.

According to Mr Stables, he always gets concerned with people who exaggerate a few hundred mice term it a national mouse plague. “We have just got to be careful that we don’t overreact,” he said. He did not like the idea of people sensationalising the number of the mouse since it distorts the management process and the orderly distribution of baits. He noted that the management of pests is programmed in a manner that any distortion might cause severe damage to the affected areas.

According to Professor Staples, such false information might make even those who are not and might not get affected by mice to buy the baits.  The real victims of mice infestation will be the ones to suffer due to limited bait supply. “ Such sensational reports might lead to bait being sent to the wrong areas when the real need might be somewhere else, and people can lose crops because of that” Professor Staples said.

Normal Season in Cropping Regions

“It was a reasonably normal season for mice in cropping regions,” Professor Staples said. He explained that it has been happening for the last 100 years and it will probably happen into the future. To him, this is just another cropping season just like the previous ones and mice somehow increase in number. That is not an indication that Australia is glaring to a disastrous mouse plague like that one of 2011.

Professor Staples Company (Animal Control Technologies) is dedicated to developing poisons to keep feral pests at bay, including rats, rabbits, foxes, pigs and wild dogs. The company was instrumental managing past plagues, including the unprecedented 2011 plague.

“We had the entire nation covered in mice at the same,” he said. But he reviewed the current situation as skirmish and not worthy media attention. According to him, Victoria and South Australia are the only areas with a higher number of mice with “a bit of murmuring” in New South Wales. The rest of the country is safe, and there’s no need for alarm.