Agricultural Pest Control

About 20,000 feral deer have been removed from South Australia over the past two years, but stakeholders say the pests' breeding rate means that will have little impact unless efforts are doubled.

Snake season is upon us and experts say how you respond in the minutes after a bite could be the difference between life and death.

Grain and oilseed growers in northern NSW look to the skies and hope the weather cooperates to produce a stand-out harvest this year with the success credited to a full moisture profile at sowing and consistent and timely rain throughout the growing season.

Three years after a tiny pest began killing trees across Perth, authorities are sticking to one method — cutting down established trees in the hope of eradicating the pest. With no silver bullet in sight, what will it take for Perth to learn to live with it? 

An army of beneficial bugs is fighting the bad bugs that gnaw on your vegetables, protecting the borders of the largest greenhouse set-up in the southern hemisphere.

The Shire of Murchison says it's "unlikely" two popular pet dingoes on farmstay Wooleen Station were shot under its bounty system.

Farmers welcome a state government decision to extend an "unprotection order" on dingoes and wild dogs, but environmental advocates say the native predators are a vital part of the ecosystem.

Independent testing finds high levels of unwanted substances in a western NSW river after residents report finding fish covered in sores, but the council says the treated water is safe to drink.

Grain growers deal with pests and diseases every season, but they hope new technologies already appearing at field days and trade shows will allow for earlier detection of problems and a pinpoint targeted response.

A biosecurity analyst says cane toads have travelled long distances on cars trucks to end up in places where new populations would not be welcome.

The Central Coast Council says the pigs originated from a private property and there are now about 150 roaming a farming community. The council says it has limited powers to deal with the problem and is calling on the state government to strengthen laws.

Millions of sterile male blowflies will be bred at a world-first facility and released to mate with females in a trial aiming to end flystrike on the island.

Scientists are concerned that a toxic herbicide widely used in Australian farming could be linked to the growing prevalence of Parkinson's disease. It sat on the regulator's shelf for review for decades, while the company manufacturing it worked to publicly discredit evidence that its product was harmful.

Australian researchers and chef Duncan Welgemoed are advocating for the pest species to be used to feed into health and beauty products in a multi-billion-dollar industry. 

The Shire of Harvey admits to mistakenly saying it had detected shot-hole borers in its local government area, a species that has killed thousands of trees across Perth.

Chainsaws are being taken to trees across Perth to stop the spread of shot-hole borer, but scientists say more research is needed to determine if there is a better way to eradicate the pest before beetle activity ramps up come spring.

A handful of Australians have gone to extremes to transform cane toads into useful products – and some of their methods are tough to stomach.

From bird flu to the Japanese encephalitis virus, the threat from Australia's north is increasing and authorities need you on the front line.

Scientists and local government representatives are worried about efforts to control the shot-hole borer after revelations the lab that tests surveillance traps has not operated since mid-June.

As beekeepers from four states cross borders to pollinate almond trees, there are fears the annual event could help spread the deadly varroa mite around the nation.