As the spring mouse breeding season approaches, grain growers in the southern cropping region are being equipped with a new electronic tool to help them monitor mouse activity and protect their crops.
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MouseAlert is a new interactive website which allows growers, landholders and advisers to record and view mouse activity in their local area in real time.
Data entered will help growers to predict mouse plagues and take steps to control mouse populations.
Developed by the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (IACRC) in partnership with the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), Landcare Research New Zealand, CSIRO, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA), MouseAlert is being introduced to growers in SA, Victoria and central west NSW at a series of workshops over the coming months.
MouseAlert project leader Peter West, of the IACRC and NSW DPI, said the website at www.mousealert.org.au enables farmers to record mouse activity in their local area to inform their community about changes in mouse numbers and damage.
“It will also assist growers in determining when to implement control measures in advance of a possible plague,” Mr West said.
“It can be used by mobile device users in the field, and a new community facility will enable farmers to create online groups and share their observations of mouse activity among members.”
The next stage of MouseAlert’s development will be a notification system so members of a group can be alerted to changes in mouse activity in their area as soon as it happens, enabling a co-ordinated, local response.
A mobile phone app is also in the pipeline.
