Rain boosts locust populations in SA

Heavy rain in December is thought to have initiated locust breeding, with high numbers caught in the Dulkaninna light trap, which is used by the Australian Plague Locust Commission as an indicator of a potential significant breeding population in the Far North region.

APLC director Chris Adriaansen said the concerns of the next few months would be dependent on follow-up rain in February.

“The past four or five years, we’ve had very few locusts, reflecting the dry seasons, so we’re starting from a very low population base,” he said.

Mr Adriaansen said this low population base would mean numbers would be slow to increase.

He said there was a chance of a middle level infestation in the north of the state if there was follow-up rain in February.

“It still won’t be a plague situation like 2009-10, but there could still be pockets in areas (with high numbers),” he said.

Mr Adriaansen said populations at this stage were not significant enough to warrant control actions, but surveillance teams were in SA in the next week.

“It’s really the north east of SA that has a significant population at this stage,” he said.

He urged farmers to continue their surveillance and report any sightings.

“We can only be in certain areas, at certain times,” he said.