Exactly who’s in the house is key in understanding mouse dynamics

The social structures at play in burrows beneath paddocks are central to GRDC Research Scholar Nikki Van de Weyer’s studies into mice populations.

Researchers Ryan Sarre and Nikki Van de Weyer collecting an ear clip for DNA analysis from a wild house mouse (Mus musculus). Photo: Robert Phillips

Ms Van de Weyer has been part of the CSIRO Rodent Pest Management Team for more than five years.

Three years ago, she decided to further explore mouse dynamics, undertaking her PhD at Macquarie University, Sydney.

Supported by GRDC, Ms Van de Weyer says she wanted to understand why favourable conditions did not always lead to mouse outbreaks.

“Social structures and reproductive strategies may shape population growth and stability. My research is aimed at examining how variations in female social organisation affect reproduction and contribute to population outbreaks.”

Ms Van de Weyer has used live-trapping, burrow-use tracking and genetic techniques to better understand these factors.

“I have just finished all the data collection. We had tagged about 180 individual mice on sites where we were monitoring burrow use using automated remote PIT tag readers. We tracked and recorded burrow use periodically over 12 months.

“Each tag is unique to an individual mouse, so it will be interesting to see who the frequent burrow users are. We’ll overlay that data with genetic data to determine relatedness between individuals.”

The findings from this research should contribute to more effective pest management strategies to reduce the severity of mouse outbreaks.

“As we continue to explore the complexities of house mouse populations, integrating both environmental and intrinsic factors into forecasting strategies may be key to predicting and managing outbreaks more effectively,” Ms Van de Weyer says.

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