More accolades for Hermidale school

Rising mousenumbers are a cause of concern

Farmers are advised to be on the lookout for increased mouse activity following recent reports of increasing damage to crops and fodder across the state.

NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin is urging growers to be extra-vigilant about mouse activity.

Mr Martin said it’s just two years since the last mouse plague saw vehicles, buildings and towns infested while crops were destroyed.

“Members are telling me they’re seeing mice again all the way from Queensland down to the Victorian border and out west towards Adelaide,” Mr Martin said.

“We need everyone to keep an eye out for mice, in particular use their chew cards, and report any activity to authorities.

“It’s important to stay on top of this issue so we can avoid a repeat of the 2021 mouse plague, so please if you see something, say something,” he said.

In 2021 the rodents swarmed rural and regional communities, chewing their way through hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of crops, damaging farm machinery, vehicles and buildings in the process.

Hermidale Public School won the Sydney Royal Easter Show’s 2023 Agriculture Innovation in Schools award for their hands-on wheat cropping project that taught students what to be a farmer. Pictured are Raechel McCarthy (Relieving Executive Director Regional Rural and Remote Education), Duncan Kendall (Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Head of Education) with Hermidale Public School’ s principal Skye Dedman and teacher Rebekah Coddington. ▪ Photo contributed

“People reported being “sickened” by the sight of ‘carpets’ of mice on our highways.”

Farmers and rural landholders are urged to report mouse activity by visiting feralscan.org.au/mousealert

Farmers can download the chew card template at https://grdc.com.au/resources-andpublications/resources/mouse-management/ monitor-manage/know-your-mouse-numbers