Lachlan landholders on front foot in locust campaign
As locusts take to the wing in the north of the state, landholders in the Lachlan Livestock Health and Pest Authority continue to work closely with LHPA rangers to coordinate ground control efforts.
Craig Ridley, Lachlan LHPA senior ranger, commended landholders for their efforts in timely reporting of locusts and undertaking ground control.
"We are very pleased with the landholder response so far, particularly given the difficulties faced with the wet weather.
"There has also been excellent collaboration with other land managers, such as those people representing the local council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service," he said.
While locusts in the north of the state start to swarm, Mr Ridley says landholders need to remain vigilant by continuing to check for locusts, reporting activity to their local LHPA office and undertaking the necessary controls.
"Locusts in the Lachlan LHPA district range from newly hatched to 4th instar nymphs. This means control efforts have to be tailored to suit each situation," said Mr Ridley.
To aid ground control, substantial aerial surveillance has been undertaken across the LHPA district.
"In the last week we had five planes undertaking aerial surveillance around Tottenham, Melrose, Kiacatoo, Lake Cargelligo, Naradhan and Ungarie. The surveillance showed that there were 15 to 20 locust bands, and that all of these classified as ground targets.
"All identified targets were treated via ground control and we have not required spray planes yet. This demonstrates that our local ground control operations to date have been successful.
"To assist landholders with ground spraying we have loaned four LHPA spray units. We have a couple of extra spray units if landholders require them," Mr Ridley said.
As of 29 October, total confirmed hatchings were 720 for the Lachlan LHPA district.
To report locust activity on your property, contact your local office of the Lachlan LHPA.
Media contact: Kylie Dunn 6391 3720 / 0428 465 378