Farmers in NSW, Queensland, and Victoria struggle with devastating mouse infestation, but drones could offer a new way to control the outbreak.
In the face of a worsening mouse plague across Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, a Queensland farmer has received approval to use drones in New South Wales to drop poisoned bait as a means of controlling the infestation.
After years of drought, recent rains have provided relief to farmers but have also exacerbated the mouse problem. Mice are thriving, feeding on spilled grain from recent harvests, and breeding at an alarming rate. Steve Henry, a CSIRO research officer who studies the impact of mice on the grain industry, described the situation in northern NSW and southern Queensland as a plague, with farmers losing significant portions of their summer crops to the rodents.
The invasion has been especially severe in irrigation and summer crop areas, with some crops rendered completely unusable. Farmers like Alan Brown, from Wagga Wagga, report widespread damage, and some areas, including Coonamble in NSW, have seen mice overrunning fields and farms.
The approval to use drones represents a novel approach to tackling the plague. By flying drones equipped with poisoned bait, farmers hope to effectively target and reduce the mouse population.
