Pests - Horticulture

The karroo thorn can overrun landscapes and make farmland unproductive, so farmers and biosecurity officers are rejoicing at this eradication achievement.

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.

The invasive shot-hole borer beetle has been found outside Perth's quarantine zone, sparking fears it could spread to the east coast.

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.

An outbreak of the bee-killing parasite is confirmed for the first time in Victoria,  just weeks after Australia's largest annual movement of honey-bee hives began arriving in the state.

Data on 40 different insect species across 19 countries points towards pollinators and beneficial predator species experiencing an almost 40 per cent drop in productivity.

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.

Scurrying down highways and chewing through machinery, rats are already running rampant in outback Queensland — and locals say numbers have already soared past last year's infestation.     

A University of the Sunshine Coast researcher working with the world's "largest arachnid venom collection" is aiming to invent a honey-bee-friendly bio-insecticide for farmers battling swarms of hungry locusts. 

James Hill is breeding billions of tiny blind predatory mites that are packed on ice and posted to strawberry farms in the battle against destructive sap-sucking insects. 

Inquiry chairman calls for authorities to involve the public and work with farmers and pest control companies to stop the spread of the imported pest.

After magpie geese decimate hay crops in the Northern Territory, farmers hope artificial intelligence will help keep the marauding birds away. 

As almond growers and beekeepers prepare for the upcoming pollination season, industry experts warn ongoing restrictions on moving bees could cripple the harvest for another year.

A solitary specimen of Varroa jacobsoni, which is a different species to the pest plaguing New South Wales and Victoria, was found during a routine inspection of a sentinel hive in Brisbane. 

The invasive insect causes millions of dollars in losses across Australia's summer crop-growing regions.

The Commonwealth and state governments are doubling down on a half-billion-dollar program that's so far failed to stop the spread of the red imported fire ant.

Biosecurity officials launch an investigation after finding a red imported fire ant inside a package from Queensland at an Australia Post parcel centre in southern Tasmania.

Earlier this year alleged off-target spray drift damage from Overwatch caused bleaching on gardens in nearby townships, and there are concerns it will happen again next harvest.

Yellow crazy ants are one of the world's worst invasive species, and authorities are fighting on the ground and in the air to stop them spreading in north Queensland where they're at risk of devastating communities and ecosystems.