Plagues wipe out grass shoots around Charters Towers, just weeks after farmers celebrated much-needed rain

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Plagues of locusts are causing nightmares for north-west Queensland graziers just weeks after their dreams of much-needed rain were realised.

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The large plagues have emerged around Charters Towers, wiping out grass shoots that began to sprout after late December rain.

Charters Towers mayor Frank Beveridge said the problem was particularly bad in some areas west of the township.

“You can be driving along and then hit a huge plague of them and be left with dead insects all over your car,” he said.

“It can be quite devastating if you are a grazier and have waited 12 months for rain ... and then the grass disappears.”

Videos highlighting the extent of the problem have emerged on Facebook.

Grazier Patrick Scharf posted a video showing a huge swarm of the locusts hopping over a patch of land.

“This is what we have to put up with now. As a small green pick comes up these little mungral’s [sic] just chew it off,” he wrote.

Scharf said he had been spraying the locusts since mid-January and help was needed from government departments.

Beveridge said the climatic conditions had to be just right for the locusts to thrive and it was hard to predict how long the problem would last.

“If the conditions extend then they might cycle a number of times, which means they are a problem for a lot longer,” he said.

Comment has been sought from Biosecurity Queensland.