Mouse plagues in Australia

Mouse plagues have occurred several times throughout parts of Australia since wild house mice (Mus musculus) were introduced by European colonists along with the First Fleet in 1788.

[4] In 1872 another plague was recorded near Saddleworth in South Australia with farmers ploughing the soil to destroy mice nests.

[6] South Australia experienced another plague in 1890 in the Mid North region in areas around Oladdie,[7] Mundoora[8] and Georgetown.

[43] Australia's worst ever mouse plague occurred in 1993 and caused an estimated A$96 million worth of damage to crops and attacked livestock in piggeries and poultry farms.

[48] In January 2021, the mice continued to cause problems, and raised concerns for crops in areas of New South Wales and Queensland.

[49] In March 2021, mice were stripping food and other items from the shelves of a supermarket in Gulargambone (382 km (237 mi) north west of Sydney).

[50] Health concerns for people were raised when mice killed by baits were found in drinking water tanks.

[53] In the meantime, mice were chewing through walls and ceilings, and were estimated to have caused $100 million in damage to crops and grain stores.