DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — The DNR says it closed the campsites at Rock Island State Park four days early due to an increase in the mouse population.
Eric Hyde with the DNR says that although the campsites are closed, the rest of Rock Island State Park remains open.
While the last ferry to Rock Island for the season ran on Monday, Hyde says visitors can still use private watercraft to reach the island.
Maddy Pritzl, a part-time park ranger last year on Rock Island, says the mouse problem this year is much worse than last year.
Watch: Surge in mouse population forces early closure of Rock Island campsites:
"Talking to the ranger this year, she said they'd be all over the counter, and I'd have multiple traps always going off," Pritzl said.
Pritzl adds that when she goes camping, she ensures she's prepared to deal with mice, using a hard-shell cooler and placing a rock on top at night to keep mice out of her food.
Katie Kilsdonk, who returned from Rock Island after spending the weekend camping and volunteering to clean up the island, says the mouse situation wasn’t as severe during her visit.
"I saw the videos last week, but that’s not what I experienced this weekend. I wasn’t there last week, so I can’t speak for everyone," Kilsdonk said.
Hyde says the mice have already begun to disperse.
"With no campers and fewer people around, the mice have been dispersing a little bit," Hyde said.
The DNR plans to let natural predators reduce the mouse population and expects a good winter to help bring the numbers under control.
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