(OPINION) Israel365News – In what might be seen as a miniature version of the fourth plague which had Egypt overrun by wild animals, much of Australia is suffering a plague of mice.
Though tiny when taken on an individual basis, the results are just as devastating. Widespread mice infestations are not uncommon in Australia, happening about once every ten years, appearing after sufficient rains generate bountiful harvest. but the land-down-under is currently experiencing its worst in over a decade.
A “normal” infestation can see up to 7,500 mice per acre which generally aggregate around food sources. This year, the problem is much worse and the pests are threatening crops in inland eastern Australia, known as the wheat belt of the country. The mice destroy food crops and eat feed intended for cattle and sheep.
Check out the mice at Collie! East of Warren. @ABCRural
Video courtesy of @harry_gaynor pic.twitter.com/pLwkfTpODW— Hugh Hogan (@Hughiehogan) February 1, 2021
“The mice have continued to breed through the spring, into the summer and now the real concern is that they’ll continue to breed into the autumn and cause a lot of trouble for the sowing of winter crops (in March/April),”
CSIRO mouse researcher Steve Henry told AAP news. The rural farming regions are just now recovering from a multi-year drought. Many farmers were fortunate enough to harvest before the mice showed up but the infestation is ruining the hopes of any harvest in the near future. READ MORE
