North West and Northern Tablelands Local Land Services urge landholders to be aware of Australian Plague Locusts, with recent favourable weather conditions resulting in nymphs hatching and progressing through their lifecycle.
Local Land Services Biosecurity Officers have been issuing chemical to landholders who are now reporting banding locust nymphs in the Moree, Goondiwindi, North Star, Yetman and Warialda areas.
Adult Australian Plague Locusts were observed across the North West and Northern Tablelands regions throughout late spring and early summer of 2020, with Local Land Services working with landholders since early December when these adult locusts laid eggs.
"Control of plague locusts is most effective during the third instar nymph growth stage," explains Senior Biosecurity Officer with North West Local Land Services David Lindsay.
"It is at this stage where they "band" together in dense concentrations making them an ideal spray target. This generally happens approximately three weeks after hatching and is what we are seeing now."
Under the Biosecurity Act 2015, all land managers have an obligation to control plague locusts on their land. Local Land Services have had great cooperation with local Shire Councils who are undertaking control on council road reserves. It is now up to private landholders to also share the responsibility.
"The risk of doing nothing now means this generation will complete their lifecycle and lay eggs again, resulting in increased populations that will impact on summer crops and early winter crop plantings," says David.
