NSW mice plague: Aussie farmer burns rodents in 44 gallon drum in TikTok video

An Australian farmer has made extreme efforts to get rid of the mouse plague that is devastating crops and livelihoods in rural NSW.

The farmer, known only as Andrew, uploaded a video to the TikTok social media platform of hundreds of rodents dropping hundreds of rodents from his grain conveyor into a burning 44-gallon drum.

He said the mice attacked his snail, a corkscrew-like farming machine, by climbing inside to nest and presumably eating leftover grain after it was used to pump the grain into a silo.

Andrew’s method of getting rid of the pesky rodents received a lot of support on TikTok, but not all were impressed with his extreme idea as many people criticized the embattled farmer in the comments.

One person commented on the video and said they don’t like mice, “but this is messed up” to which Andrew replied, “you (sic) messed up”.

Media camera camAustralian farmer Andrew drops mice into a burning 44-gallon drum. Image: TikTok / @ andyj3825Media camera camThe video showed hundreds of mice being burned in the 44-gallon drum. Image: TikTok / @ andyj3825

A bystander said “this is wrong” but Andrew hit back again saying “you (sic) wrong”.

Another person said he could definitely have killed the mice “a little more humanely”.

“So is it human to bait them?” Andreas answered.

“They slowly die over time… it’s human to drown them. Give me a humane way to kill them and I’ll do it. “

Media camera camAustralian farmer Andrew has mastered both praise and criticism for his extreme efforts to get rid of the mouse plague. Image: TikTok / @ andyj3825

Andrew said the video had already been removed from the platform but he appealed and they put it back on.

Another viewer said it was a brutal way to kill her, but he was on the farmer’s side.

“I think there are several methods of removal. This is a demonstration of cruelty to animals, ”said one person.

“You have no idea what it is like, brother, I hope they infest (sic) houses there,” Andrew told another commentator.

Media camera camAustralian farmer Andrew films mice falling off his grain conveyor belt the next day. Image: TikTok / @ andyj3825Media camera camThe mouse plague on a family farm outside of Warren in regional NSW. Image: Ben Storer

Andrew posted another video a day later showing the mice falling off the grain elevator again, but this time a 44-gallon barrel didn’t burn underneath.

The ongoing rodent infestation in Eastern Australia has caused an estimated $ 100 million in damage and exacerbated a mental crisis in the regions.

Some farmers have lost up to $ 300,000 to ruined crops as the mice chew through whatever they can get their teeth on.

jack.paynter@news.com.au

Originally published as Farmers Extreme Mouse Plague Movement