How much of an impact do mice alone have on NZ’s ecosanctuaries?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-01-30 03:00

New Zealand

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Specialty fences have been a great way to generally eradicate mammal pests in NZ’s ecosanctuaries, but keeping mice out has proved especially difficult. Researchers studied the unique impact of high mice populations on one Waikato ecosanctuary by comparing two forest blocks where mice were either abundant or undetectable. The presence of mice reduced the number of bugs and insects - like caterpillars, spiders, wētā, and beetles - while earthworms became more abundant as mouse populations decreased. The researchers say there are substantial gains for eradicating the full gamut of pest animals - even if mice continue to linger after - but mice themselves may be “catastrophic” on places that focus on the recovery of invertebrates or lizards.