Australian plague locust situation update

Australian plague locusts (Chortoicetes terminifera) are native insects that, if left unmanaged, pose a serious threat to pastures, crops and horticulture. While its native range is in Queensland and New South Wales, outbreaks can intermittently occur in Victoria.

Situation update: June 2026

Field surveys in April, May and June have found medium to high numbers of locusts in some areas of north-west Victoria.

Adult females were seen testing the soil to determine if it was suitable for laying eggs, but widespread egg laying could not be confirmed.

High rainfall throughout eastern Australia in February and March helped pasture growth, providing locusts plenty of green feed and encouraging breeding. This has allowed populations to build up in eastern Australia. The increase in numbers seen in north-west Victoria is also likely due to locusts moving in from New South Wales and South Australia.

Weather, soil moisture and available vegetation over the next few weeks will affect how much egg laying occurs. Any eggs laid will stay in the soil over winter and hatch in spring.

Managing locusts can be difficult, especially at the adult stage when they are highly mobile and moving in swarms. Spraying eggs is ineffective, as the eggs are laid well beneath the soil.

The best time to control locusts is around 2 weeks after hatching when they are young and cannot fly. At this stage the young locusts (nymphs) are between 8 mm and 12 mm long and start to band together.

Agriculture Victoria will continue to monitor locust activity and provide updates.

Where are locusts found?

Locusts naturally inhabit the far north-west of New South Wales and western Queensland and South Australia and the south-west region of Western Australia. Locust populations have also been seen in regional Victoria in some years. Increasing populations are due to favourable conditions or may also be due to migrations from New South Wales and Queensland..

Who is responsible for managing locusts?

In Victoria, the government, private landholders, public land managers and the community all have a role to play in managing locust populations and minimising their impact.

All landholders and land managers are responsible for reporting and managing locusts on their land.

Agriculture Victoria undertakes surveillance and works closely with all stakeholders to provide relevant, timely and accurate information on locust populations and movements throughout the season.

Victoria is a member of the Australian Plague Locust Commission, a joint partnership between the Australian Government and the state governments of Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. The commission undertakes surveillance throughout south-eastern Australia and provides information on current and future locust activity.

Locust management strategies

Chemical insecticide ground spraying is the most successful way to manage locusts. The best time to spray locusts is at the nymph stage. Spray as soon as nymphs begin forming groups on the ground, before they start flying. This happens at the second and third instar stages, about 2 weeks after hatching in warm weather. For more information see Ground-based spraying .

Spraying insecticide on adult flying locusts is generally ineffective.

For more information about various control options for the management of locusts, see Chemical use and crop residues

Further information

• Information for households and gardeners
• Locust advice for agricultural industries
• Australian plague locust – identification, biology and behaviour

Visit Agriculture Victoria’s Australian plague locust online learning module page for a 20-minute interactive short learning course.

Reporting locusts

Please report locust activity on your property. Reporting helps Agriculture Victoria monitor locust activity across the state. The monitoring helps us produce accurate forecasts on locust activity, including timing of hatching and densities. Public and private land managers can use this information to pinpoint where and when to spray, to reduce overall numbers and help protect Victoria’s agriculture industry.

Please report any activity including:

• egg laying
• hatching
• banding
• swarming.

Phone the Customer Contact Centre on 136 186 or report online: