Pests (or bugs) are among the top causes of dismal crop yields in Australia’s farms and perhaps in most countries all over the world. In fact, it is estimated that for every human, there is an equivalent of some 1.4 billion insects. This is quite an astonishing and lopsided figure. It’s creepy yet intriguing to speculate what would happen to the human population if ever the insect kingdom decided to conquer the earth.
If you own a farm, you must have, in one way or another, dealt with a sort of insect infestation in the past. And if you did happen to lose a great deal of money from such a setback, then you might have resorted to searching for spray units for sale to get rid of the pests that wreak havoc on your crops and your livelihood.
Here are five pests that you should eliminate for an improved harvest:
Plague locusts
Since the biblical times, these crop pests have been terrorizing humans and destroying millions (probably even billions) of acres of lands with various plant crops. Australian plague locusts are easily some of the most devastating species of pests in the country since they can consume entire fields in a single swarm attack.
Each locust can consume green vegetation that is equal to its own weight on any given day. So, just imagine a million of these insects targeting a single field with harvest-ready crops and it’s not hard to fathom the devastation that would happen in minutes.
Cutworms
These silent-killers can wreak tremendous havoc on crops such as corn, soybean, and tomatoes. They can remain undetected until after things have gone badly, which makes them so devastating. There are several species of cutworms (dingy, claybacked, and black) with the black cutworm considered as the most devastating.
Fruit flies
Fruit flies are adept at damaging not only fruit crops but vegetables as well. Mediterranean and Queensland fruit flies are two of the most common species that affect many farms across Australia.
It’s worth noting that of the 150 native fruit fly species in the country, many of them actually do not crops that are grown commercially. But of course, it doesn’t mean that they should not be eliminated since the damages they can do can be quite significant in hurting a farm’s productivity.
Giant African snails
These snail species commonly attack vegetables, citrus, bananas, and other plants. Their wide-ranging appetite can affect over 500 species of plants, which makes them very prolific at causing significant yield damages. Not only could they affect plants and crops; they can even cause an infection to humans when eaten or simply handled with bare hands.
Tramp ants
These invasive ant species can affect humans, animals, and plants, enough to earn a spot in this list. They can nibble on electrical insulation, infect pets and endemic animals, and even cause death due to the anaphylactic shock that they can induce upon biting humans.
Do everything you can to prevent the attacks of these pests and make sure you get rid of them upon discovery. This way, being proactive can help contain pest infestations at their onset to help achieve a bountiful harvest.
