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Locusts Expected To Start Swarming

Story Added : 19th November 2008

Ongoing Brumby Government surveillance efforts have found locusts at various stages of development with an increasing number close to becoming adults.

Agriculture Minister Joe Helper said locusts across northern Victoria and southern New South Wales would begin flying and be seen across Victoria in the coming weeks.
“While current drier conditions in some areas of Victoria may have impacted on egg hatching and hopper survival, larger concentrations of hoppers remain in some locations where green feed is still available,” Mr Helper said.
“We expect to see locusts swarming in the next week or so and members of the community especially those in northern Victoria, who have not previously seen locusts, need to be prepared for their arrival.”

Mr Helper said the Brumby Government was committed to supporting landholders with advice and strategies for controlling locusts on their property.

”The Brumby Government is taking action in the fight against locusts and operation teams from the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) have provided maps containing coordinates for all known positive roadside locust locations to affected municipalities to undertake control operations,” he said.

“We have had an excellent response from the farming community and local councils who have reported sightings and mounted control activities.
“The Brumby Government will continue to combine efforts with landholders and the community to control the outbreak as much as possible.
“The DPI has already used over 12,500 man hours conducting strategic surveillance for locusts covering an area of 1.5 million hectares.

“Over 400 samples of locusts have been confirmed as Australian Plague Locusts by DPI entomologists.

“It is still vital that landholders report locust sightings as swarming locusts are capable of laying eggs that can hatch as early as within two weeks if ideal conditions prevail.
“Egg laying may occur in new areas where infestations have not been previously reported.”
Sightings can be reported to the Locust Reporting Line on 1300 135 559 and more information is available on the DPI website www.dpi.vic.gov.au/locusts