Residents across western NSW are being driven to the breaking point by the mouse plague, as a psychologist said the psychological effects of the statewide infestation were comparable to natural disasters like bushfires and floods.
Those in the bush say they spend thousands of dollars on mousetraps and bait – if the mall shelves are not exposed – while many cannot sleep fully without waking up to the sounds of rodents scurrying through their homes and even their beds.
Associate Professor Gene Hodgins of the Faculty of Psychology at Charles Sturt University said the impact of the plague on populations likely to have experienced bushfires and drought could be « the straw that breaks the camel’s back. »
« We know that any chronic, persistent stress that is constantly around you negatively affects your mental health, » he said.
« The big thing with rural populations too is that they are out of their control, much like natural disasters.
« With people who have also been through drought or fire, something like this can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. »
« The most important thing is to acknowledge it – it can have a huge impact on people like other natural disasters – if you are fighting about it, it is important that you talk about it. »
Ryan Edwards, a 28-year-old electrician and young father from Parkes, said the smell of dead mice at work was « terrible » while he was continually worried about his two dogs eating baited rodents.
« They spend so much money on bait and traps and they just keep getting on, » he told the telegraph.
« They scratch the walls and eat the foam in the air conditioner above our bed, so you wake up in the middle of the night and smash the wall to scare them off. »
« They’re running around on the roof and it sounds like they’re playing football with the bait. »
« It’s stressful – you just want them to leave, but you can’t catch them all. »
Charlie Rigby, an 18-year-old Jackaroo who works 20 km west of Warren in the northwest of the state, described the area as the « center » of the plague.
« They come into every aspect of our farms and every aspect of our lives, » he said.
« Sometimes I wake up to mice walking on the floor. I had a few in my bed. »
The financial burden added stress to residents in the west, he said after a wet summer and booming harvest led to an explosion in rodent numbers.
« There’s only so much we can do to keep up with it. It would be nice to have support. »
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud ruled out that federal support, dealing with pests as an internal biosecurity issue, was a problem for the state government and that it was « important that states are strengthened ».
NSW Secretary of Agriculture Adam Marshall said « aside from interference from Mother Nature, » the most effective way to control mouse populations is to reduce the availability of food and shelter, combined with controlling pesticide bait. The state government had successfully campaigned for the federal government to buy a strong pesticide, zinc phosphide, to combat the plague.
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