Mice, mice and more mice but not in my house
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (380507)
Rockingham, Australia
May 24, 2026 2:32am CST
I’ve spoken about the mice plague that is ravaging parts of Western Australia. A news article used high-motion animation to try to give readers a visual idea of the numbers. Here’s the link but you may not want to visit if you’re squeamish about mice: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-24/visualising-australias-mouse-plague/106696622
A plague is defined as more than 800 mice per hectare, according to the national science agency, the CSIRO. A hectare is 100 metres by 100 metres or 2.5 acres. The numbers in the stricken areas are estimated to be 8,000 per hectare. That’s 5,440 mice per rugby or soccer field, 320 mice on a typical suburban block of about 400 square metres or ten mice in a 3m x 4m bedroom.
In the towns most affected, some are leaving their homes. Supermarkets are throwing out many products where mice have eaten into the contents. I’m just hoping they won’t get as far as Perth but there is no guarantee about that either. 
The photo is mine. I don't have one of a mouse.
The photo is mine. I don't have one of a mouse.10 people like this
10 responses
@Juliaacv (55984)
• Canada
8h
I read the article.
That many mice would surely bother me to no end.
As cruel as some animal activists might believe it to be, the method of using stronger baits is a wise choice.
I cannot imagine the clean up process after the baits have been effective.
But I have to ask, are there many cats in Australia?
Growing up on a farm we always had barn cats, their job was to keep the mouse population down since there would be grain in the barn used to feed the chickens in the coop and warm hay and straw, used to feed the cattle.
Once the farm became more automated, and there were large grain bins and a farm sized elevator system where there were chutes to deliver the grain from various bins into the truck which would be ordered when it was time to sell the grain, the bigger problem became rats. And those are kept at bay with special baited traps. There are also snakes that tend to help keep that population down, they come in from the surrounding fields.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (207959)
• United States
4h
They don't like steel wool, the scents of peppermint and lavender., and vinegar.Maybe if the mouse horde approaches Perth you will need to put down some reinforcements or get a cat.
@FourWalls (86114)
• United States
2h
Dang, that’s a lot of mice. I hope they can get a grip on things without having to resort to poison (because birds and animals of prey will eat the mice and ingest the poison, too).
I hope they can get a grip on things without having to resort to poison (because birds and animals of prey will eat the mice and ingest the poison, too).
