What is causing the Australian mouse plague?

Farmers in Australia are struggling to cope with a major “mouse plague” that has left crops destroyed and homes infested with hundreds of rodents running amok.

In New South Wales, the most heavily hit area, rodents have found their way into schools, hospitals, supermarkets and countless family homes, causing widespread upset.

But, the poisonous bait used in an effort to eradicate the plague affecting parts of southeast Australia may be harming other native species, including galahs, pigeons and fish, it has been claimed.