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Plague Locusts - History of Australian Plague Locusts in Victoria
1937 – 1938 A localised outbreak near Albury related to outbreaks further north. 1946 A severe outbreak in north-western Victoria caused by extensive hatching following the influx of ovipositing swarms in the autumn of that year. An extensive aerial spraying campaign was undertaken in April and May of 1946 using Beaufort aircraft operating out of Mildura, Swan Hill, and Tocumwal aerodromes. 1950 Adult locusts from New South Wales flew into a relatively restricted area stretching from Swan Hill to Echuca. An aerial spray campaign was undertaken in north-west Victoria during September and October 1950 using Dakota (DC3) aircraft. 1955 Swarms originating in far western New South Wales flew into the Riverina, Murray Valley, and north-eastern Victoria, establishing egg beds throughout these districts and threatening a further outbreak in the spring. Egg beds extended as far as Mansfield in the east. An aerial spray campaign was undertaken. 1973 Some incursions occurred into Victoria but their extent and importance is not recorded. 1975 Some incursions occurred into Victoria but the extent and importance is not recorded. Victoria proclaimed plague locust under the Vegetable and Vine Diseases Act and required landholders to control locust hoppers where they exceeded specified densities. 1975 Victoria joins with Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and the Commonwealth governments to establish the Australian Plague Locust Commission (APLC) with the charter to minimise the risk of plague locusts crossing state borders. 1976 Extensive egg beds were laid in Victoria in autumn 1976 and this was followed by hatchings in spring 1976. Locust hoppers formed dense marching bands. Further migration of adults across the border from New South Wales was anticipated in spring 1976 and Victoria prepared to spray those swarms. There is no indication that swarms actually moved over the border in spring 1976. 1979 Despite a major outbreak in New South Wales, very few locusts moved into Victoria. The infestation in Victoria was of no agricultural consequence. 1984 Despite a major outbreak in the Riverina area of New South Wales there is no record of movement of locusts into Victoria. 1987 Small numbers of locusts moved into areas around Swan Hill and west of Mildura in autumn 1987. Some hatchings were reported around Walpeup in spring 1987 but the consequential locusts were of no agricultural importance. 1992 Small numbers of locusts moved into north-west Victoria in autumn 1992. They laid egg beds north-west of Ouyen. The eggs hatched in spring in very large numbers but only after cereal crops were fully ripe and ready to harvest. A few hoppers survived through to adult. No damage was observed or reported. 2000 Small numbers of locusts moved into north-west and western Victoria in autumn 2000. Eggs were laid west of Mildura and around Telopea Downs. Moderate hatching occurred in spring 2000, west of Mildura. Extensive hatching occurred around Telopea Downs. Department of Natural Resources and Environment sprayed approximately 4000ha of hoppers and adults west of Mildura, and approximately 30,000ha of adults around Telopea Downs. 2004-2006 A major outbreak was initiated in south west Queensland following extensive rainfall from late January to early March 2004. In spite of a control campaign in which the Australian Plague Locust Commission sprayed more than 2000 square kilometres of locust bands and swarms, Swarms moved into northern NSW, then south through NSW to northern Victoria. A few small swarms were reported in northern Victoria in March and April 2004. No egg laying was reported but some occurred in north central Victoria. The eggs survived through winter 2004 with small numbers of hoppers and then adults present from spring 2004 to autumn 2005. Swarms were not reported until autumn 2005. Some of the swarms moved south east into the Tambo Valley around Swifts Creek but were not reported. Eggs laid around Mitiamo in north central Victoria and around Swifts Creek in autumn 2005 hatched in spring 2006 and very large numbers of hoppers and subsequently swarms were present in both locations. Despite extensive control, eggs were laid in various location within 100km of Mitiamo in December 2005 and around Swifts Creek in December 2005 and January 2006. The eggs hatched through January and February 2006 forming bands of hoppers. Very few hoppers survived to adults and no swarms were reported through late summer and autumn of 2006. DPI and landholders ran an extensive control campaign in both areas. DPI alone sprayed in excess of 36000 hectares of Australian Plague Locusts, mostly hoppers. The control campaign was highly successful. A few hoppers hatched in spring 2006 but none survived to adults almost certainly because of the very dry conditions. Page Top Effectiveness of Victoria’s Membership of the Australian Plague Locust Commission Since its formation, the APLC has contributed greatly to keeping serious locust incursions out of Victoria. Major plagues have occurred in New South Wales and Queensland in 1978, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1994, and 1997. In each of those years there was potential for a significant incursion into Victoria. The incursions either did not occur or were so small that they were of no agricultural significance, largely because of control programs run in Queensland and New South Wales. Records for 1955 to 1974 are non-existent. Incursions into Victoria may have occurred in one or more of 1958, 1964, 1968, and 1972. The above information has been compiled from a range of sources including:
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© The State of Victoria, 1996 - 2008.
This document was published on 06/11/2008.