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SubscriberCourier Mail, thurs. 1-09-2011.P7. A western Qld rat plague might liven up city slickers sleeping out in swags at the weekends Birdsville races. The native long haired rat is in plague proportions from Barkly tableland north, through Longreach, into SA , western NSW ,and Alice Springs for the first time since 1970. There's been quite a few cases where they've eaten wiring off vehicles, a Toyota Kluger cost 4,500 to get going again. A lady at Stonehenge awoke to see a rat on the bedside table, the next morning her false teeth were gone. She has a reward out for a rat with very big teeth.
Advice is from Don Rowlands[ Simpson Desert National Park ranger in charge] is not to worry about the protected native species, just lock all food up, zip everything up, get under cover.
He has lived in mustering camps all his life, and says the rats are just like mozzies, you learn to live with them.They are not vicious, and will eat out of your hand, but if they can't find a food source, they might chew on you a bit. They are part of the food chain, and the owls are all fat @ sleek. Bob
I’m pretty sure the dinosaurs died out when they stopped gathering food and started having meetings to discuss gathering food
A bookshop is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking
Master
I'm there now, the word is that the free camps along the river & road in have got a good number of rats around that are causing troubles. We're in the caravan park & haven't seen any yet. If anyone from the forum is about come & say g'day, we're volunteering for the Lions Club with $5 showers on the western side of the caravan park, I've got my white 90" parked there.
ChatterBox
SubscriberWas in Birdsville a couple of weeks ago staying at the main campground and there was no rat/mice plague then although there was a rat/mouse plague further south around William Creek, Marla and Mularina waterhole where we stayed.
The bloke next to us at William Creek campground had a brand new D-Max and the mice had given it a fair hiding eating wiring insulation, radiator hose and firewall insulation. He was setting these wierd sticky paper sheets under his bonnet every night to catch the little sods. Seems you can't get proper mouse traps any more. The trick is unsticking the still live rodents from the paper. He reckoned the people at Oodnadatta told him they put the sticky paper in the freezer which made it a lot easier to 'break' the frozen rodents off so the sticky paper can be re-used!
Took this picture in the camp ground in Birdsville, didn't know what it was untill I read your post. One off and quite timid. Stuck its nose out at dusk for no more than 5 minutes and then retreated back into the scrub. About as big as a small rabbit, sits up on its haunches like a Quokka. Native and pretty cute really, definitely not in plague proportions two weeks ago.
Deano
At Rest
What you have to look out for when you get a rodent plague like this one ,is the numbers of joe blakes that come with the warmer weather and that's on the way now.Years ago on the Plenty Highway there were so many snakes due to a mouse plague that it forced us to retreat back and go the long way around to the Alice.So beware people.
Lord Jock
What you have to look out for when you get a rodent plague like this one ,is the numbers of joe blakes that come with the warmer weather and that's on the way now.Years ago on the Plenty Highway there were so many snakes due to a mouse plague that it forced us to retreat back and go the long way around to the Alice.So beware people.
Yes you are right.
There will be lots of snakes around this year after the mice plague here too!
Seen my first big one for the season yesterday on the road to Pooncarie. He was just laying there in the sun charging his batteries for night time exscursions.
Cheers, Mick
1974 S3 88 Holden 186.
1971 S2A 88
1971 S2A 109 6 cyl. tray back.
1964 S2A 88 "Starfire Four" engine!
1972 S3 88 x 2
1959 S2 88 ARN 111-014
1959 S2 88 ARN 111-556
1988 Perentie 110 FFR ARN 48-728 steering now KLR PAS!
REMLR 88
1969 BSA Bantam B175
Master
These are non-aggressive natives, not the disease carrier introduced pests. They are what we go camping to see. This is the usual cycle following good rain periods (about every 30-40 years) when green shoots and ample seeds allows good survival rates and prolific breeding of what is, in dryer times, a rarely seen animal. Their numbers then leads to increased number of birds of prey, snakes and, unfortunately, cats. As things dry, they will die off to once again become a rarity. Enjoy them while you can.
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SubscriberYes, as quoted at the start of the thread.They are also an important part of the food chain, I had a Mate in Darwin who came from central Qld. who told me his Grandad said the old people had a corroboree to celebrate just this type of occurence. The rats provided an important source of protein , along with the fat snakes, and the goannas, and the many, many eggs from the well fed owls, kites and hawks. This has been happening for as long as the old people remember , the memory handed down in oral tradition. The native people certainly enjoyed them while they could, BobOriginally Posted by ugu80
I’m pretty sure the dinosaurs died out when they stopped gathering food and started having meetings to discuss gathering food
A bookshop is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking
ChatterBox
SubscriberI remember reading in the history of the Burke & Wills expedition, their camp at Cooper Creek was severely troubled by a rat plague, wonder if it would have been the same species. Can't imagine that Rattus Rattus would have made it up there by then.
Master
I recall reading the local aborigines were amazed that Burke & Wills were starving in what was, for them, a time of plenty with food and water after a good season of rain.
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