Canberra mice were having a field day while residents, faced with a chronic shortage of mousetraps, used all the methods at their disposal to overcome the unseasonal influx.

The problem was worst in Woden suburbs and at Tuggeranong, where the burning-off on Mount Taylor had caused the mice to leave their natural habitat. The cause in Belconnen suburbs, however, was the clearing of land for building.

The number of inquiries about mice had been higher than in any other summer, a spokesperson for W. A. Flick and Co pest control said. He recommended traps as the best control method.

A check of several major stores revealed that they all had sold out of traps, though - with one hardware store assistant saying about 100 inquiries a week were being received.

An alternative method of mouse catching - by hand - was warned against by one man, who reported great difficulty dislodging one of the rodents' teeth from his finger.

See https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110630941