Locusts hoppers in northern Victoria in 2023. Image – Agriculture Victoria.

VICTORIA’S Mallee and Wimmera farmers are being urged to stay vigilant as the locust season enters its next phase.

Agriculture Victoria said today with the first round of spring hatching complete and grain harvest underway, landholders and public land managers in the Mallee and Wimmera are urged to keep monitoring and reporting Australian plague locust activity.

Agriculture Victoria incident controller Jo Cameron encouraged landholders to continue reporting what they are seeing to Agriculture Victoria.

“With the first round of spring hatching complete, further breeding and new generations of locusts remain possible.

“As we move into the next phase, uncontrolled bands could develop into flying swarms, and public observations and reports will help us understand where further action is needed,” she said.

Ms Cameron said the Mallee and Wimmera are the main areas where locust activity has been detected.

Agriculture Victoria said ongoing community reporting helps identify new activity to support further action to protect farms, parks and neighbouring communities. Locusts can cause contamination and affect grain receival. Farmers have been advised to check the relevant Grain Trade Australia and grain buyer receival standards for limits on live or dead grasshoppers and locusts before delivery.

Agriculture Victoria, the Australian Plague Locust Commission (APLC), Parks Victoria, industry, landholders and communities have worked together to monitor and manage locust activity this spring, including surveillance and treatment across private and public land.

Ms Cameron said annual targeted surveillance during autumn indicated higher than usual spring locust activity, prompting increased surveillance and preparedness. Reports of locust bands in spring subsequently triggered intensive ground surveys by Agriculture Victoria and APLC.

She said the best time to control locusts is about two weeks after hatching, when they form into bands and before they start flying. Land managers should follow treatment guidance from Agriculture Victoria and the APLC.

Agriculture Victoria said land managers, including those who have already treated locusts, should keep watching for new generations and uncontrolled locusts forming bands or swarms, and report activity at every stage, including egg laying, hatching, banding and swarming.

Ms Cameron said continued vigilance is important.

“Working together has helped us identify locust activity and guide timely control decisions across north-west Victoria.

“Thank you to landholders, communities and partner agencies for continuing to monitor, take action and share information,” she said.

For current information, monitoring and control advice or to report locust activity online visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/locusts or call 136 186 or email [email protected]

Source – Agriculture Victoria.