Fears of fresh mouse plague as farmers share videos

Tuesday, 28 April 2026 10:20

It is a massive blow to embattled farmers, but also threatens a $3 billion industry.

Farmers in South Australia are being forced to resort to shooting mice with rifles or burning their precious crops as a mouse plague ravages southern Australia.

Videos of hordes of mice sweeping across the country have been shared on social media, with millions making their way from Western Australia in an easterly direction.

It is another huge blow for farmers, who have already been ravaged by wild weather and the fuel crisis, and experts warn it could threaten $3 billion in grain and food exports to Asian neighbours.

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The plague has already hit the wheatbelt region in Western Australia, and is now making its way towards South Australia, which is recovering from an intense period of rain and floods.

These conditions are perfect for mice plagues to occur, due to the warmer temperatures and larger amount of crops they feed off.

Some farmers have been forced to take drastic action, with one shooting mice on his property with a rifle, and another has been forced to burn the crops he had already grown after he found hundreds of holes burrowed by mice.

"Look how busy these little bastards have been," the farmer said as he posted a video of the remains.

In previous mouse plagues, especially in the 1980s, farmers used flamethrowers to kill the swarms of mice attacking their crops.

Experts fear the plague will continue as it spreads across South Australia and even into Victoria.

The impact could pass from the farmers to millions of Aussies as it could massively impact Australia's trade with many Asian neighbours.

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Back in a similar plague in the 1980s, farmers resorted to using flamethrowers to deal with the plague.

The mouse plague could have a devastating impact on Australia's grain and food export industry, which brings in around $3 billion to the economy.

"This is another kick in the guts, not only for our farmers impacted, it's the community, it's anybody. It's small business, it's supermarkets, it's the baker," Andrew Weidemann from Grain Producers Australia said.

Australia's grain export industry brings in $3 billion, but this could be in jeopardy if the plague continues.

An emergency application was launched with the federal chemical regulator - Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority - asking to double the lethal ingredient in baits from 25 grams to 50 grams.

"Our research shows that with the 50-gram bait, you kill over 80 per cent of the mice, 80 per cent of the time," Henry said.

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