Mosquito, Locust Swarms Predicted To Descend On Aussie State

Prolonged flooding throughout Australia's eastern states have created an ideal environment to trigger plagues of destructive insects as the nation approaches the peak of summer

SYDNEY, Dec. 17 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Dec, 2021 ) --:Prolonged flooding throughout Australia's eastern states have created an ideal environment to trigger plagues of destructive insects as the nation approaches the peak of summer.

The state of New South Wales (NSW), following its wettest ever November, is bracing for an unwelcome rise in locust and mosquito numbers due to the soggy conditions.

"We had a wet summer at the start of the year, followed by mild winter and wet spring and now the rains have returned and are likely to continue due to the La Nina effect, so the potential is certainly there for plague numbers," Australian Museum exhibition producer David Bocks told Xinhua on Thursday.

The Australian Plague Locust Commission, in its December update, reported that there could be an increase to overall population levels over summer with "swarm formation" likely in NSW's Riverina district, near the neighboring state of Victoria, which will lead to possible region-wide infestations.

Meanwhile, farmers in NSW's western Murray district have already reported multiple swarms of locusts for the first time in about a decade.