Mouse Plague Affecting Agriculture and other Industries

A mouse plague in New South Wales has forced a jail to relocate thousands of inmates while it carries out cleaning and renovations. Due to this, more than 400 prisoners and 200 staff at the Wellington correctional centre will be moved to other facilities over the next two weeks. The mice have caused extensive damage to prison infrastructure, including internal wiring and ceiling panels.

Currently, New South Wales is suffering from the worst mouse plague in decades. This is mostly due to a bumper grain harvest that has boosted the number of rodents in the southeastern state, where they have been wreaking havoc for months, especially at farms. Thus, the state prison authority said operations at the jail would be reduced for about four months while it was cleaned, repaired protected against the future plague.

The main problem with mice is that when they start decaying good, they bring along mites. This is extremely dangerous for the inmates and the staff located at the prisons. It seems that the infestation has intensified in the last few weeks and that is posing a huge problem.

Reasons for the Mouse Plague

It is being reported that the mouse plague commenced in the spring of 2020. The main reason for the outburst is the favourable weather conditions for breeding. Moreover, the abundant harvest was also a major stimulant for the plague. The mouse plague has hit farmers the hardest as their crops are being eaten. The situation was at its extreme as infestations were reported at schools, hospitals and other such institutions. Therefore, it will take some time for the situation to come under control.

Article by: Hari Yellina (Orchard Tech)