The Wimmera region has recorded a moderate increase in mice numbers throughout the past month, causing concern for croppers.
The latest mouse update from the CSIRO and Grains Development and Research Corporation recorded mice caught on trap grids at the benchmark site at Walpeup, and moderate activity with around 50 active burrows a hectare in four recorded sites in the Wimmera.
The numbers come as Grain Producers Australia (GPA) urge cropping farmers to be on high alert throughout the region, considering the value of crops this season and input costs.
GPA southern director and special projects manager Andrew Weidemann said growers should monitor their paddocks closely for any signs of mice throughout the growing season, especially in self-mulching clay soils.
"As the temperature cools, we see more activity around sheds, and we are certainly suggesting that it's probably not a mice plague situation at all, by any means," he said.
"But what we're suggesting is that farmers should be vigilant given the cost of putting inputs into the ground this year that they make sure they're monitoring paddocks that are likely to have mice."
Mr Weidemann said as the cropping season progressed, more growers would begin to report sightings of mice, while some paddocks with more feed on the ground and low rainfall would see increased breeding.
"We're certainly hearing of bait sales going up, so that suggests that there is activity out there in the broader area, but-full scale baiting programs are not needed in the region at this stage," he said.
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CSIRO research officer Steve Henry said farmers had been receptive to giving information about mice numbers, but that information waned when mice weren't a problem.
Mr Henry said those periods were "scientifically a problem for us [at the CSIRO]".
"The idea was to use that data to inform mathematical models to make predictions about potential outbreaks," he said.
He said on-the-ground monitoring that CSIRO researchers conducted in March showed patchy but moderate numbers of mice in the north-west.
"I happened to Tweet out that I was keen to find out about what farmers were seeing in their paddocks in relation to mice as they sowed the crop," he said.
"I got feedback from Kaniva, Walpeup, the surrounding area around Horsham, Kalkee and the upper-northern Mallee, and most of those places said they were seeing visible signs of mice.
"Some farmers said they were baiting their crop, and others said that some paddocks were baited [on their property] while other paddocks were not."
Mr Henry said farmers should take time to walk through their stubbles to understand what amount of mice could be on their paddocks.
"There are some pretty high-value crops out there and some parts of the state have had a really good start to the season, so those high-value crops are well worth protecting," he said.
