Thats one hundred rats for every resident at the lower end of the scale.
Men stand behind a mound of 500,000 mice caught in May 1917 at Lascelles, Victoria.
Photo credit: F.G. England.
They damaged wheat, chewed boots, shoes, table-cloths, carpets, curtains, bed clothes and books.
Mice leaped out every time drawers and cupboards were opened, startling the womenfolk of the house.
Some mice managed to get inside the zoo andfrightened the lions, while elephants screamed and trumpeted.
The wheat at the Woomelang station is fast disappearing, reportedThe Horsham Times.
Photo credit:boobookbacktracks.blogspot.com
Mice were caught and slain by tens of thousands every day.
The incident was widely reported in several newspapers around Victoria under the heading Women Massacre Mice.
Before the outbreak was finally defeated, over 1,500 tons of miceabout a hundred million individualswere killed.
The pesky rodent destroyed thousands of hectares of crops, blighted piggeries and ravaged poultry farms.
The following video shows how bad the situation was.
The invasive species is not even native to the continent.
The most important factor that contributed to these outbreaks is likely weather.
By contrast, droughts are sufficient to prevent an outbreak.
Over 2 tons of mice caught in three nights at Crystal Brook (S.A.).
Photo credit:Cleland, J.
B
Wheelbarrow overflowing with dead mice.
Photo credit:Cleland, J.
