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“Farmers are being urged to spray for locusts as more become evident across areas of South Australia, including the mid-north.

Biosecurity SA has had reports of high numbers near Narridy, Yacka and Spalding.

Entomologist Kym Perry says farmers need to act to help prevent the current generation laying eggs which could affect their seeding work.

‘Locusts are becoming more visible over the last few days. Now is actually the best time to spray hoppers and possibly even this week we’ll see them on the wing and then they’ll be much much harder to control,’ he said.

‘Pretty soon they’ll develop wings and become more mobile as adults. They may drift around looking for green feed.

‘We think these ones are unlikely to last long enough until seeding time, but the big question is whether they’ll lay more eggs and those eggs could develop into a population around seeding time.’

Merle Hosking from Narridy in the mid-north says the locust swarms have almost destroyed her garden.

‘They’ve burrowed into the agapanthus and eaten everything down the stem. The yuccas that were in the garden they’ve all been eaten and there’s great holes in the spiky leaves. Even the cacti, they’ve attacked and it’s just bare,’ she said.” Source – ABC News.