The Australian Plague Locust Commission (APLC) said this week that pockets of locust activity in NSW and Queensland presented no cause for wider immediate concern.
APLC director Chris Adriaansen said surveillance and reports had identified pockets of higher density locust nymphs scattered across parts of southern Queensland as well as the Central West and West regions of NSW during the past four weeks.
“The most extensive area of moderate to higher density infestation identified is in the area north of Broken Hill, extending to Tibooburra and White Cliffs. There are also some small pockets of infestation in the Nyngan area of NSW and around Roma in southern Queensland," Mr Adriaansen said.
“However, these areas are characterised by pockets of infestation rather than uniform levels or more-widespread high numbers.
The numbers involved do not represent a general threat to agricultural production or regional environments, he said.
"Individual landholders may, however, want to consider the need to undertake spot control of higher density infestations if they wish to reduce the potential for isolated crop or pasture damage.”
Mr Adriaansen said the hoppers resulted from eggs laid at the end of autumn in areas that had low to moderate patches of infestation at the time.
“Where reasonable winter and early spring rainfall has occurred over areas of hatching, survival and growth of the nymphs has been high, so these nymphs will progress to adulthood and then look to breed and produce the next generation,” Mr Adriaansen said.
The prospect of communities sighting small swarms of flying adult locusts will increase in the coming weeks as these locust hoppers mature.
“While APLC, in collaboration with staff from State and local agencies, will continue to survey for these locusts, we are keen to receive local intelligence from landholders and the community of any sightings of flying adult locusts.
“This, in combination with our other techniques, will help us to track these adults and target areas of likely egg laying for surveillance of the next generation when they hatch.”
