Published - 22 February 2022 By Sarah Brown (Agriculture Victoria) What is the best way to report a suspect pest? So, you find something in your garden that you haven’t seen before. Maybe you have heard us talk about exotic pests and the importance of … Read More Agriculture Victoria, bad bugs, biosecurity, community, exotic, plant health, surveillance Protect your patch, What bug is that?, Where to go for help
Published - 9 June 2021 By Madeleine Quirk (AUSVEG) Inspect your vegetable crops for signs of this leafmining pest Cover image: Adult of Liriomyza huidobrensis. National Plant Protection Organization, the Netherlands, Bugwood.org Have you ever wondered what causes the squiggly lines on the leaves of … Read More AUSVEG, bad bugs, biosecurity, pests Protect your patch, What bug is that?
Published - 30 March 2021 By Dr Jessica Lye (Cesar Australia) Keep a lookout for the exotic spotted lanternfly Cover image: Richard Gardner, Bugwood.org The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is a high priority plant pest in many countries around the world. Currently, the spotted lanternfly is … Read More bad bugs, Cesar Australia, exotic, pests What bug is that?
Published - 16 March 2021 By Sarah Brown (Agriculture Victoria) Melbourne gardeners join the psyllid hunt This Easter, gardeners around Melbourne are setting traps in their veggie patches and citrus trees to help Agriculture Victoria researchers search for exotic psyllids. Recently we … Read More Agriculture Victoria, Citrus Australia, pests, surveillance Protect your patch, What bug is that?
Published - 15 January 2021 By Jo Chong Wah (Agriculture Victoria) Look out for spotted wing drosophila aka “The Berry Monster” in your patch Drosophila suzuki – commonly called the spotted wing drosophila or SWD. The spotted wing drosophila (SWD, Drosophila suzukii) is an exotic fruit fly which favours soft-fleshed … Read More bad bugs, berries, exotic, pests, surveillance What bug is that?
Published - 14 October 2020 By Kellyanne Harris and Pippa Auld (Agriculture Victoria) Help keep bumblebees out of Victoria Bumblebee on blue wild flower Bumblebees are large, hairy, social bees belonging to the family Apidae (subfamily Bombinae). Bumblebees are not known to occur on mainland … Read More Agriculture Victoria, bad bugs, bees, exotic, pests What bug is that?
Published - 21 September 2020 By Madeleine Quirk (AUSVEG) Beware the red imported fire ant! Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta The Red Imported Fire Ant, commonly referred to as RIFA, is a serious exotic species that could impact Australia’s natural … Read More bad bugs, exotic, pests, plant health What bug is that?
Published - 27 May 2020 By Jo Chong Wah (Agriculture Victoria) Who wants to be a Pest Warrior? Who wants to be a Pest Warrior? At the Urban Plant Health Network we’re hoping ALL of you will want to be one! Read our Pest … Read More Agriculture Victoria, bad bugs, exotic, garden, pests Protect your patch, Resources, What bug is that?, Where to go for help
Published - 1 April 2020 By Jo Chong Wah and Pippa Auld (Agriculture Victoria) Our activity book will get your kids learning about “bad bugs” to look out for It’s a really challenging time, with all of us in self-isolation.. Parents are working from home and kids are out of school. Are you struggling to … Read More Agriculture Victoria, bad bugs, bees, exotic, garden, pests, plant health What bug is that?
Published - 23 March 2020 By Madeleine Quirk (AUSVEG) The rise of the Fall armyworm Fall armyworm larva / Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org The fall armyworm (FAW) is a moth native to the subtropical and tropical Americas, including the … Read More AUSVEG, bad bugs, exotic, pests, plant health What bug is that?
Published - 21 January 2020 By Dr Jessica Lye (cesar) Busy, busy bees: Honey is only part of the picture Amegilla cingulata – Blue-banded bee. Image credit: Erica Siegel If I were to ask you what a native Australian bee looks like, what would you say? To … Read More bees, beneficials, Cesar Australia, good bugs What bug is that?
Published - 30 December 2019 By Jeff Milne (Citrus Australia) Look out for this citrus pest at your place as part of the bigger picture Citrus trees in backyards and orchards in the USA are being killed by a small bug called the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP). We want to … Read More bad bugs, citrus, Citrus Australia, diseases, exotic, pests Protect your patch, What bug is that?