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I was broken into last weekend. A group moved into my house, started eating my food and making a ridiculous mess around the place. They even slept in my made-up spare bed! It was devastating to come home to.
So I sighed, got out the multipurpose spray and anti-bacterial wipes and started cleaning up after the mice who had infiltrated my house.
These rodents have not only consumed my dry goods in my pantry or pooed all over my daughter's clean clothes, but they have also infiltrated my thoughts and my dreams (read nightmares) as I try to live through this blasted mouse plague.
I know, I know, there have been plagues before and there will be plagues again, but for now I'm just looking for advice on how to live through this one. A date on when the infestation will end would be nice too.
The NSW Government has recently realised what's happening and have allocated $50 million to the invasion. It's a fantastic start, particularly for farmers who are trying to sow their winter crops and are losing time and money to the little pests.
The government has also provided free super-strong chemicals to curb the plague. This has left some nature and conservation groups concerned about what will happen to the eco-system when the poison spreads.
PETA has suggested putting the mice on the pill, which in my humble opinion, is not the most outrageous thing that organisation has ever suggested. If only this had happened years ago, we wouldn't even be having this discussion today!
How it is affecting people's mental health is a grave concern of mine, as farmers and townsfolk alike in regional NSW are battling what seems like a losing war to the ever-breeding mouse population. See what happened to poor Barry Wade, who still has nightmares (this article is subscriber only).
At the end of the day we apparently have to wait until these vermin get too cold and die, or too hungry and eat each other. In the meantime I'll be grabbing my best friend Glen 20 and my antibacterial wipes to wage my personal war against the mouse plague.
Wish me luck.
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Grace Ryan
Deputy Editor at the Central Western Daily, Orange. You'll mostly find me tinkering in social media and newsletters. Working hard to get our stories in front of your eyes.
Deputy Editor at the Central Western Daily, Orange. You'll mostly find me tinkering in social media and newsletters. Working hard to get our stories in front of your eyes.
