Landholders and residents have been warned by the CSIRO – which has been surveying mouse activity for Grains Research and Development Corporation project MouseAlert – to be aware of increased mice activity.

Pest control expert Brett Randal said while increased activity at this time is normal, they were “running hot with the rodents this year.”

There are three key factors, the CSIRO said, which could contribute to a plague: climate, food and breeding. Fears of a plague have been growing after last year’s bumper harvest produced ample food and shelter, followed by a mild summer.

According to the CSIRO website, Australia’s “worst ever mouse plague” in 1993 cause an estimated $96 million worth of damage.

“[It] destroyed thousands of hectares of crops, blighted piggeries and ravaged poultry farms. The whiskered marauders chewed their way through rubber and electrical insulation, damaged farm vehicles, ruined cars and buildings,” the website said.

A similar plague in 2010/11 affected three million hectares of crops in the Central West and the Riverina, even spreading as far as Victoria and South Australia.

“Even when mouse numbers are low, growers need to remain vigilant as mouse populations can increase rapidly as soon as the conditions are favourable and, with little warning, farmers can have a costly and escalating problem,” CSIRO said.

The organisation is recommending baiting and the removal of food supplies. It is also calling for farmers to report any mice they see through MouseAlert.

The alert allows researchers to make predictions about future outbreaks of mice.

It also provides farmers and advisers with the opportunity to access information about mice activity in their area. The information can then be used to show if mouse numbers are at levels that could affect the crops.

Sightings can be logged via the MouseAlert App, which is part of the FeralScan app or through the MouseAlert website.