Victoria on locust alert

FARMERS are urged to be on full alert for what is thought could be Victoria’s greatest locust plague in 30 years.
Surveying a giant northern triangle, from Swan Hill to Bendigo to Wodonga, the Department of Primary Industry has located 95 bands of hoppers, some almost two kilometres long.
Victorian Farmers Federation president Simon Ramsay has urged farmers to act as soon as they see the immature locusts, known as hoppers.
“If they see bands of hoppers on their property, report them to the DPI on 1300 135 559, seek their advice and then spray the infestation as soon as possible,” he said.
“Spraying hoppers while they are banding is not only the most effective time for farmers to control the hopper population,” Mr Ramsay says, “it is currently the only way to eradicate plague locusts in most of Victoria.
But the VFF President warns: “Bands of hoppers are already consuming large areas of lush vegetation.
“Everything in front of the hoppers is green, while behind them the ground is bare,” Mr Ramsay said.