Report locusts in Hume LHPA

With several recent reports of locust activity in the region, the Hume Livestock Health and Pest Authority is asking landholders to continue surveillance and report all plague locust activity on their properties.

Hume Livestock Health and Pest Authority senior ranger, Mark Luff said the recent rainfall and localised areas of green feed had provided ideal conditions for locusts to become more active. Locust eggs laid from mid March onwards are expected to hatch in the coming spring.

Mr Luff said that to successfully combat plague locusts, landholders need to notify their local LHPA of any locust activity and, when the time is right, to respond quickly with control.

"Effective control is only possible if individual landholders work with us, so please contact your local ranger when you see any locusts," Mr Luff said.

"At the moment locusts in this area are mostly breeding and preparing to lay eggs. We are not able to treat locust at this stage but we need to be prepared to control them when the timing is right.

"Monitoring activity and mapping egg beds allows us to establish the extent of the plagues and forecast hatching dates, so all landholders need to report locust sightings to their local ranger now to ensure that we are able to monitor future hatchings."

Landholders are reminded that it is a requirement under the Rural Lands Protection Act 1998 to report all locust activity no matter how small to their local Livestock Health and Pest Authority and to carry out appropriate control measures on their property.

Your local Livestock Health and Pest Authority continues to be the primary contact for reporting locust activity, providing chemical to landholders and assisting with control methods.

To report locust activity on your property or for further information contact your local LHPA office in Wagga Wagga, Gundagai, Holbrook or Albury.

Media contact: Suzie Robinson 6391 3720 / 0428 465 378