The mice problem plaguing Australia's eastern rural region could soon make its way to the bright lights of the big city of Sydney
Millions of the little critters have been invading properties all the way from southern Queensland to northern Victoria and it's causing untold damage.
Not only have they eaten through millions of dollars' worth of crops but also destroyed machinery and pushed many farmers to breaking point.
Advert
But it's feared as the winter months creep in, the mice will start looking for warmer homes to rest and reproduce and they could hitch a ride on the transport trucks that will be delivering produce.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Sydney mice technician Dieter Mafra said the migration has actually already started, however it will be a few months until we know whether the city is experiencing a rodent problem.
"They will travel to Sydney, I would say by August," Kevin Joyce Pest Management technician said. "There are already mice and rats here obviously, and with hotter conditions they usually move towards the beaches where there's water - they need between 2ml and 5ml a day.
Advert
"But with the colder winter conditions they will be looking for domestic roofs in houses and could get a free ride on the transport here."
They reckon as much as $100 million worth of damage has been done over the past few months and the videos that have popped up on social media are horrifying.
It shows the mice making their way into literally everywhere: from hay bales, underneath sheets of tin metal, to under car bonnets.
A female mouse can be pregnant at just six weeks old and can give birth to up to 10 mice every 20 days.
The Grains Research and Development Corporation, in conjunction with CSIRO, has done the math and believes the mouse population in the affected areas will peak in late autumn this year.
Advert
That's in line with the sowing of winter crops and it's unknown whether their numbers will taper off or if they will simply move east towards the coast and wreak a similar havoc on more populated cities.
The New South Wales government has unveiled a $50 million support package for rural people affected by the mouse plague.
Free baiting, through free-of-charge grain treatment, has been made available to primary producers. People in rural and town households, as well as small businesses, will also be eligible to apply for rebates to help them meet the cost of purchasing mouse baits.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Australia