It’s Raining Mice!

A problem of biblical proportions — I hope not.

Raining Mice. Fact. Not a euphemism!

In the past two years we — as in Australians — have endured drought almost continuously; huge, devastatingly terrifying fires; the wretched pandemic and, now we have a plague of mice, rodents that are relentlessly moving down from Queensland and heading via New South Wales towards Victoria.

And really isn’t it enough that the poor Victorians are suffering through their 4th lockdown since this whole Covid crap thing started. Plus, it seems the spread of this disease here in the main, comes down to the lack of proper quarantine facilities. Really it quite obviously could have been predicted that when the systems of air-conditioning installations in hotel situations are combined with the vagaries of human nature, the predicted, desired outcome will not be achieved. A given if you will. There will be lumps and bumps in a public health situation that will inevitably lead to the possibility of becoming dire with overriding, consequential, and lethal outcomes. As has proven to be the case. Individual State-run quarantine hubs should have been implemented immediately after this disease raised its ugly head. We are an island continent and as such extremely lucky, especially compared to other less fortunate countries. But, we could have been luckier! OK rant over.

But back to the mice problem. These little blighters are ravaging the countryside to the extent farmers are electing not to plant crops for the coming season. One hopes this is only temporary because if this practice becomes widespread throughout my state and by extension to other states, there will be a huge economic loss for both Australia and the individual farmers.

And I just heard from a friend that insurance companies are refusing to pay out on mice damage; she heard about a householder whose house has been ravaged to the tune of $250k and cannot claim! So except for the following exceptions as listed on the NRMA website, it seems if our houses are damaged by this plague we are indeed cactus:

A plague of mice continues to cause misery across many regional NSW and Queensland communities, but damage to crops and homes is unlikely to be covered by insurance.

Policy coverage experts have told insuranceNEWS.com.au that vermin damage has always been an exclusion, and farmers are expected to absorb it as a business risk.

However, if damage caused by mice results in a flood or a fire, this is covered by many, but not all, home and contents policies.

IAG says it has had 17 claims from the mouse plague so far, across all its brands.

Generally, damage caused from vermin or insect plagues, such as mice chewing through electrical wiring, is excluded, EGM Direct Claims Luke Gallagher said.

However, our NRMA Home Policy and WFI Commercial & Rural Plan will cover the subsequent damage caused by mice chewing through electrical wiring or plumbing, for example, if this leads to a fire or water from a pipe flooding an area of the home.

Seems that insurance companies are the winners here!

So no joy — There is some talk of the government paying householders up to $500 as a rebate for baits and traps. I hope it is much more for the farmers! Although regarding a mouse plague and home insurance, surely a plague cannot be seen as a business risk when the reason they multiply comes back to weather cycles and the ongoing existence of drought. The mice, it seems, do not like rain so we really need to have a very wet winter.

From experience, some brands of mouse killer do not work as well as they might and it is my theory that the little blighters voraciously chew up the baits, inhale, get high, do a happy dance, and then go back to their nests to procreate and gift us more of these furry little numbers. And their multiplication rates are huge; 20 or so days gestation. So unless permanently stopped in their tracks this never-ending cycle of fertility results in huge numbers of disease-carrying, destructive rodent filth!

My son has just told me something so bizarre it is truly amazing in its’ whole concept! The pet shops are selling out of — get this! “Python Poo” seems the mice are so petrified of being eaten by snakes they give this deterrent a very wide berth!

I am now on the hunt for python poo!

The disease and destruction caused by these rodents is absolutely vile. And the smell, the filth, and the monetary debt being piled onto the shoulders of individual families just beggars belief! Families are talking about their homes being destroyed, their toes and faces being chewed whilst they sleep and people are reporting that the mice have been biting patients in their beds in hospitals, all whilst they have been sleeping. Truly disgusting.

I have also heard that people are starting to see the mice traveling along our main highways. So we all need to get the baits out and put them down behind our electrical goods so that they don’t get chewed because if they do the chew there is no insurance available. Although as a private householder this surely cannot be considered a business risk.

But on somewhat a lighter note two days ago my husband and I were getting ready to go out when Harriett started to bark and yell; carrying on like a pork chop the way Jack Russels do when upset. So we checked to see why she was so indignant about this paramount issue in her world.

Well, there in the kitchen in her water bowl was one drowned mouse over which she was standing guard. Once removed by the man of the house she settled. Years ago she was a mouser extraordinaire, but she is now sixteen and so while she would love to still catch them, she can only hunt and smell, which is so disappointing for her but as an older girl her speed has been depleted.

Recently one family was left homeless after mice sparked a fire. And unfortunately, there is no insurance for this single mother and her three sons; money being tight her insurance had lapsed by one month.

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From the last mice infestation comes a short story of a close encounter — Enjoy the laugh!

all rights reserved — a.a.gallagher