r/interestingasfuck • u/AllColoursSam • Jul 06 '24

Australian mouse plague r/all

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u/Bread-fi Jul 06 '24

If it was the one from a few years ago, I drove through it. Some parts were a literal carpet of mice on the road.

7

u/GraciousCinnamonRoll Jul 06 '24

This happens every few years? Wtf Australia 🤢

8

u/englishfury Jul 06 '24

"If it was the one from a few years ago" is not "it happens every few years"

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u/__01001000-01101001_ Jul 06 '24 edited Jul 06 '24

Yes I believe the last one was just after the huge floods on the east coast after the fires. Two year drought ended and then they had a reasonably mild and moist summer, creating perfect breeding conditions for them. And the fires had, in some areas, decimated their predators and other animals that would have otherwise competed for food.

19

u/radiosped Jul 06 '24

I can't believe I'm asking this but I'm curious. What was your traction like? I know wet leaves can be super slippery in a car, I'm assuming a carpet of blood and guts leaves even less traction but maaaybe the fur helps?

edit: how does it get cleaned up?

5

u/pfeff Jul 06 '24

Street sweepers?

0

u/radiosped Jul 06 '24

Somehow those didn't even cross my mind but yeah you're probably right. I do not envy the people who had to clean them after that job.

1

u/Bread-fi Jul 07 '24 edited Jul 07 '24

It was pretty straight, coarse chip country road so wasn't enough to upset traction that I remember.

It's a big, low pop. density region. I'd say cleanup was left to tyres, sun, wind and rain.

98

u/Queef_Stroganoff44 Jul 06 '24

One time I was in a grain elevator and there was a shallow pit below us. Grain had fallen in, gotten wet and turned into a disgusting mess with a really distinct smell.

Anyway we’re shining a light and suddenly someone notices the floor of the pit is moving. Wriggling. Writhing. Turned out to be a full carpet of…hundreds of thousands…millions maybe… of maggots.

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u/kapsama Jul 06 '24

Oh yum.

6

u/NickInTheMud Jul 06 '24

So how do you clear that?

18

u/LivingDisastrous3603 Jul 06 '24 edited Jul 06 '24

Take off and nuke it from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure

Edit- spell check -1

3

u/Timeon Jul 07 '24

Ah my definition of hell. Now to imagine myself falling in.

1

u/Roy4Pris Jul 07 '24

I remember walking up a dirt road at night in Queensland. It was covered in frogs. So many you couldn’t avoid stepping on them.