It's not nice having mice in the pantry. They spread disease... and panic! But when mice turn up in their millions, it means financial disaster. Since the turn of the century, there have been mice plagues on Australian wheat farms every seven to ten years, but in the last decade they've increased to every two to three years.

In the past, farming pests have been trapped, poisoned and shot. But not only has aiming at a mouse been difficult, these days there's a demand for greener, more friendly remedies. But it doesn't mean the mice have to pop a pill. With gene technology, scientists at the Pest Animal Control, Co-operative Research Centre, used a virus, common in mice, to carry a gene from the coating of the mouse egg or sperm. It means that when the mouse is infected with this virus, and its body sets up an immune response to fight the virus, it also sets up a response against the eggs or sperm in the animal's own reproductive system.

It will be about 7 years before the fertility control agent is approved for release. But when it is, scientists will only need to release a few mice with the altered virus, for it to spread quickly through grooming, saliva and sexual contact. It is a kinder, safer way to prevent mouse plagues in the future.

Dr. Lyn Hinds
CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems
'Gungahlin' Barton Highway
Gungahlin ACT 2912

Lyn.Hinds@csiro.au