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"The locusts are a significant threat to pastures and crops, particularly since many landholders in these areas haven't had the rainfall to produce a decent crop or pasture for years," Mr Adriaansen said. "It's a significant impost. Apart from the damage the nymphs themselves will do, the really significant problem is their potential to form adults and disperse and set up subsequent populations."
"The largest of these bands covers 24 square kilometres -- a massive area," he said. "The total number of verified reports is now 466. It's much cheaper to control locusts now than to suffer the losses they cause once they begin swarming."
AUTHORITIES are working frantically to contain a locust plague that threatens to destroy tens of millions of dollars worth of crops and pastures in the NSW Riverina and surrounding areas.
While the juvenile locusts, known as nymphs, are yet to grow wings, there are fears the plague could spread into Victoria and South Australia if the nymphs are not killed in the next few days. Spraying is already under way.
More than 400 infestations of juvenile plague locusts have been identified so far, and dozens of outbreaks have formed into kilometre-long bands, each band containing millions of insects.
Planes manned by officers from the Australian Plague Locust Commission and the NSW Department of Primary Industry flew overthe affected areas yesterday, pinpointing the best places for aerial and land-based spraying. More than 100 outbreaks have been detected near the town of Wagga Wagga alone.
At the head of a band, the concentration of insects can be as high as 5000 per square metre. Locusts breed rapidly, going from egg to adult which lays eggs within a 10-week period, with each female laying up to 40 eggs.
Ten hectares of locusts on the ground can become a square kilometre swarm. The outbreaks have been spurred on by warm weather and recent rains.
Director of the Australian Plague Commission Chris Adriaansen said the timing of the outbreaks was cruel because many farmers were experiencing their first good season in years.
"The locusts are a significant threat to pastures and crops, particularly since many landholders in these areas haven't had the rainfall to produce a decent crop or pasture for years," Mr Adriaansen said. "It's a significant impost. Apart from the damage the nymphs themselves will do, the really significant problem is their potential to form adults and disperse and set up subsequent populations."
NSW Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald said staff using spotter planes had found 59 large bands of locusts within a 24-hour period.
"The largest of these bands covers 24 square kilometres -- a massive area," he said. "The total number of verified reports is now 466. It's much cheaper to control locusts now than to suffer the losses they cause once they begin swarming."
Credit: John Stapleton
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