Farming News - Warmer winter leads to increase in pests
News
Warmer winter leads to increase in pests
Farmers are reporting increased rat and mouse activity, as well as record numbers of rabbits, thanks to this year’s mild winter.
Peter Crowther, of Rutland Pest Control, told the BBC’s Farming Today programme, “This year we’ve seen more mice than ever in grain stores. It’s been a population explosion.”
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Rats and Mice have been a particular problem for arable producers whose grain is currently in storage. A report on the effects climate change will have on aspects of farming, which was released by Defra earlier in the week, showed that changes to a warmer, drier climate could benefit pests including mice.
The report concluded that not enough is currently known about the interaction between the impacts of climate change and agricultural pests and diseases, but recommended further research be carried out.
Weather may also benefit birds
Whilst the warmer winter weather has been good news for pests, the RSPB believes it may also have benefitted bird populations. RSPB spokesperson Sarah Houghton said that farmland birds in particular are likely to have benefitted from an abundance of food this winter.
Data released by the RSPB last year showed that, overall, farmland bird populations had continued to fall in both number and diversity, so the beneficial effects of 2011/12’s mild winter will be welcome news for bird lovers.
More readily available food sources due to the lack of frost and snow in most parts of the UK and resultant increases in flying insect populations, which have emerged early on this year, has resulted in increases in bird sightings and nesting activity has been reported earlier than usual. Ms Houghton said, “There has already been lots of evidence of birds recce-ing potential nest sites.”
This weekend is the RSPB’s ‘Big Garden Bird Watch’, when the charity asks people around the country to sit for an hour and count the birds they see in their garden. The charity said it expects that over half a million people will be joining in to watch birds as part of the event, which has run for thirty years.