NRW KEEPS AN EYE ON DARLING DOWNS MOUSE NUMBERS

Seasonal monitoring of mouse numbers by the Department of Natural Resources and Water (NRW) will help provide a clearer picture to determine if they are on the rise in parts of the Darling Downs.

Minister for Natural Resources and Water Craig Wallace said NRW rodent zoologist Peter Cremasco was leading a team of land protection officers into the field this week.

Mr Wallace said they would lay nearly 2000 mouse traps in selected areas on the Darling Downs to gauge numbers heading into the summer cropping season.

“The results will be fed into the department’s Mouse Plague Prediction Model, along with the previous trapping results from September and November, to confirm anecdotal evidence that numbers are increasing,” Mr Wallace said.

“Of course environmental conditions will have a lot to do with the final outcome.

“The November results were up probably due to the storm rain in spring and a relatively high carry-over of mice through the winter, however, there appears to be very little breeding activity,” he said.

Mr Cremasco said if more storms arrived there may be a sharp rise in numbers in the next few months.

“There are not a lot of new crop plantings at the moment, however, with follow up rain landholders will need to keep a close eye on their paddocks to monitor mouse movements,” he said.

Mr Cremasco said the trapping results, once fed into the prediction model, would give an indication of what to expect of mouse populations in the coming year.

He said based on the results he would be able to give advice on the most appropriate course of action for landholders to best manage mice on their property.

“At this stage, I would recommend that landholders consider mowing their crop and roadside verges and destroying any failed winter crops to deny mice a food source for further breeding,” he said.

Broad scale monitoring is undertaken by NRW officers throughout the year with the December trapping index considered a critical indicator to determine expected autumn mouse numbers.

Further details are available on the department’s website at http://www.nrw.qld.gov.au/pests

Media note: Trapping will take place in the Clifton area on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, near Jimbour on Tuesday and Wednesday and between CecilPlains and Mt Tyson on Wednesday and Thursday. The best footage will be when officers are dissecting the trapped mice, which will need to be arranged in advance.

For further information: Contact NRW regional communication officer Chris Leslight on 4688 1412 or 0417 071 772.

Media inquiries: Paul Childs, Craig Wallace’s office, on 0407 131 654.