Farmers urged to stay alert to locusts during Christmas

With warmer weather across the State and increased reports of fresh egg beds coming in, landholders are being urged to keep up the fight against the Australian Plague Locust.

Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Rural Lands Protection Board (RLPB) staff are urging farmers to continue their vigilance by reporting swarms, signs of egg beds, and any new hatchings. This will help control teams with their response efforts and will limit further spread of locusts.

As expected, hatching reports have increased for the first time in more than two months, with 360 new reports this week - up from 223 reports the previous week. This increase was anticipated based on egg laying activity earlier this month, and it brings the total number of locust hatchings to 12,893 to date.

New reports have been received from the Brewarrina (1), Central Tablelands (4), Condobolin (20), Coonabarabran (9), Dubbo (59), Forbes (20), Gundagai (17), Hillston (2), Hume (4), Hunter (6), Molong (27), Mudgee-Merriwa(5), Murray (20), Narrabri (3), Narrandera (11), Nyngan (6), Riverina (4), Wagga Wagga (120), Wilcannia (1), and Young (21) RLPBs in the last week.

Control authorities have received reports of significant egg laying through the Wagga Wagga, Murray and Riverina RLPB districts. There are also reports of new hatchings in these areas. These new hatchings could carry through January, and landholders need to check their property at least twice a week for hatching activity.

On-the-ground treatment by landholders once juvenile locusts begin banding together is by far the best and most effective treatment option, and will help limit new swarms.

Response teams have so far issued enough locust control chemical to treat almost 956,000 hectares in the ongoing locust campaign.

Aerial control is currently focusing on adult locusts to help minimise migration and future egg laying, and this week alone control teams treated 253 swarm targets in NSW.

Swarms are very scattered and light in the northern parts of the State around Narrabri, Coonabarabran and Gunnedah. The central areas including Dubbo, Mudgee, Molong and Forbes also have swarming and laying adults.

Some swarms in the south of the State have begun migrating over the border into Victoria. Victorian control staff this week received hands-on training in locust control from the Australian Plague Locust Commission, which has responsibility for treating locusts along State borders and in generally west of the Newell Highway.

Media contact: Trudy Glasgow 6391 3312 or 0427 217 354