Experts are urging residents to fortify their homes against the flood of hungry and cold mice, warning while “we won’t see them as much but they are still there”.

Amid a plague declared the worst in 20 years, local pest controllers say they are witnessing first-hand the desperation of prolific numbers of mice trying to share in dwindling food supplies.

Rentokil’s Jamarl O’Sullivan said the company’s technicians recently began to notice some of the poisoned animals they were finding in bait boxes had also been mauled.

“We were trying to work out what was happening and then we witnessed mice eating each other.”

Mr O’Sullivan said while an extremely cold winter had the potential kill off up to half the Border’s mouse population, it could also see more of them in suburban homes as they undertook a search for food and warmth.

The Albury pest control consultant said he had seen beds so covered in mouse droppings it looked like “someone has dropped five boxes of Hundreds and Thousands on the bed sheet”.

Mr O’Sullivan urged residents to take precautions well before the spring breeding season.

“Make sure baits are out, food products are put away, rubbish bins are regularly emptied and not sitting for long periods of time.

“Ensure anywhere they can get in the home is sealed, like bottoms of doors, garage doors and places where pipes are going through your home.”

But before enthusiastically laying out poison, veterinarians also want people to consider the safety of their regular household pets.

Head nurse at Hume Animal Hospital Jess Howe said her clinic was treating up to five cats and dogs weekly who had eaten the intestines of poisoned mice or gobbled up rat poison.

“It’s been crazy. Before you wouldn’t even have one a week,” she said.

Ms Howe said the treatment required to prevent bleeding could cost owners up to $1500.

“The biggest thing I would say is to take the baits away. Use traps if you can,” Ms Howe said.