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How the APLC Monitors Locusts
The APLC constantly monitors the locust situation in eastern Australia by conducting regular ground surveys in the major breeding areas. Field officers located at bases in Narromine, Broken Hill (NSW) and Longreach (Queensland) conduct surveys in the surrounding areas up to a distance of 1,000 km.
The standard method of survey is to drive a vehicle through areas of suitable habitat, making regular stops (about every 10 km) to conduct foot transects. At each stop the number and species of locusts present is recorded, as well as their stage of development, the type of habitat present and the condition of the vegetation.
While travelling, field officers also contact local landholders, State Land Protection Officers and Rural Lands Protection Board Officers to obtain any information on the current locust situation. All this survey information is relayed to the APLC headquarters in Canberra by HF radio three times daily.
Fixed wing aircraft or helicopters are sometimes used to survey large areas that require rapid assessment. This typically occurs when an upsurge is expected or detected, or when conditions make ground survey impossible, eg floods.
In a typical day surveying for locusts, an APLC field officer may cover an average of 300 km of remote outback terrain and stop 30 times to record density and lifestages of several species of locust.
The APLC relies on landholders and the general public to report any locust activity in their area. All reports are immediately checked by APLC or Rural Land Protection Board officers to verify the species of locusts present and to determine whether control is required. See our Reporting Locusts page for details on how to report locust activity to us.
Light trapsLocusts have the ability to migrate hundreds of kilometres in a single night and may do so on successive nights. They may travel up to, or even in excess of, one thousand kilometres by the time migration is over. The APLC operates a network of eight light traps across eastern Australia to detect long distance migration of locusts. Night flying locusts are attracted to light. The number of locusts caught in any one night is influenced by many factors in a way which is not clearly understood. However, if suddenly a large number are caught it is likely that there has been an invasion into the local area.
A light trap specially designed to monitor locust migration. Adult locusts flying during the night are attracted to the 250W mercury vapour lamp and fall into the 3 m diam. base filled with water where they are identified and counted.
Light trap locations
