For the first time since 2011 a farm in south-west New South Wales is baiting for mice and a plane has been called in to help get the job done.
Daniel Linklater from Trentham Cliffs Station, near Mildura, said his family is 70 per cent through sowing and they now needed to go back and aerial bait the paddocks they have already been through.
""It seems that they like the legume stubble, more than the cereals. I'm not sure why that is or if there's any science to that," he said.
"Organised people would have a spreader set up on the back of their seeder to get the treated wheat out as soon as possible so that's the only food opportunity for the mice."
Double strength zinc phosphide (ZP50) mouse bait is available for grain growers again this season, but they have to complete special training to access the product.
Mr Linklater is using ZP25 but said it was not because he was refusing to complete the online training.
"It's more a case of just being a bit of an unorganised creature this year, hitting the panic button on the problem we have in front of us and just taking whatever bait we could get our hands on," he said.
Patchy mice numbers
CSIRO research officer Steve Henry said mice numbers are patchy right across the Australian cropping zone.
"We're not seeing that sort of broad scale increase that's typical of plague numbers. However, there are enough places with high numbers of mice for us to be concerned," he said.
Mice have been reported in parts of northern and central New South Wales, while other places have none.
In Victoria towards St Arnaud, mice have been spotted running across the road and there are also areas around Bendigo where the pest is an issue.
Along the Mallee Highway between Ouyen and Pinnaroo Mr Henry said paddock history appeared to be playing a role in mice populations.
"Where there's lots of food and shelter around, they're ideal conditions for mice and they're the places farmers should be focusing," he said.
Mr Henry said farmers need to go for a walk and look for the signs of mouse activity because it could be hidden in stubbles and other crop residue from last season.
"If farmers take action while sowing it will push the mice population down heading into winter and there'll be a lower population base when they start breeding in spring, reducing the amount of damage that will be caused," he said.
"Be prepared to bait as you sow, use the 50-gram bait wherever you can because that's going to get you the results for your baiting efforts."
