Large parts of South Friesland look like a prairie landscape. This can be seen on satellite and drone images that Wageningen UR has shared. Cause? An early mouse infestation that is expected to cause more damage than the mice nuisance of 5 years ago.
The mouse plague occurs in the peat meadow areas in the south of Friesland. Especially in and around Hommerts, Terzol, Indijk, Tjerkgaast and Follega. The damage can be recognized on satellite images as light spots in the grassland. Also drone footage show this spotty structure well.
Worrying situation
A mouse nuisance of this magnitude previously occurred in 2004 and 2014. After a mild winter and a warm and dry spring, the mouse population could explode. It happens now 2 months earlier than in 2014.
Gerbert Roerink, researcher at Wageningen Environmental Research, is concerned. “Five years ago, the mouse infestation damaged 26.000 hectares of grassland. This lasted until winter. Because this plague starts 2 months earlier, the chance of damage is also much greater.”
Countermeasures
Farmers are aware of the problem and are taking action. For example, fields are inundated to combat the mouse infestation. “This seems very effective,” says Roerink. “The tunnel systems are flooded and the mice flee to the surface, where they are met by seagulls. But once the flooded field has dried up, the mice will return.”
According to the researcher, a joint approach at area level is necessary to achieve a better result. “The mouse plague seems like a new reality for these farmers once every few years.”
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This is in response to it Boerenbusiness article:
[url=http://www.boerenbusiness.nl/melk/ artikel/10883387/muizen-maken-van-friese-weide-een-stoffige-prairie]Mice turn Frisian meadows into a dusty prairie[/url]