The Good, The Bad, and the Bug-ly

Biosecurity risks to plants and horticulture production are not only exotic pests, but sometimes it’s often the diseases they carry. Asian Citrus Psyllid is an exotic pest to Australia, but most of the damage from this pest actually comes from a bacterium it carries, which has devastated overseas citrus industries. Biosecurity Manager with Citrus Australia, Dr Jessica Lye, joins us again to explain more about a program Citrus Australia runs and how it aims to keep Australia free of this pest and the disease it spreads in the latest ‘The Good, The Bad, and the Bug-ly’ episode. For more information visit the Urban Plant Health Network. If you see something unusual, call the Exotic Pest Plant Health line on 1800 084 881 or take a photo and upload it to the MyPestGuide Reporter. 

As annoying as flies are, they have an important part to play in our ecosystem. With many different types of flies, it can be easy to think they are all the same. There are good flies, bad flies and some really bad flies that are exotic to Australia and we want to keep it that way. So how can you tell the difference between the good ones and the bad ones? Senior Entomologist with Agriculture Victoria, Kyla Finlay, helps us determine which flies are bad flies and which are good flies in the latest ‘The Good, The Bad, and the Bug-ly’ episode.

The large earth bumblebee is exotic to mainland Australia but has been present in Tasmania since 1992.  These large, furry, and loudly buzzing bees are ferocious foragers and experts are concerned about the impact these large bees could have on our native species of bees and other nectar eating wildlife. Agriculture Victoria invasive species analyst, Michael Whitehead, explains why the large earth bumblebee is not the kind of bee you want to hear buzzing around your garden, and what to do if you suspect you find one in the latest ‘The Good, The Bad, and the Bug-ly’ episode. For more information visit the Urban Plant Health Network or Agriculture Victoria. If you see something unusual, call the Exotic Pest Plant Health line on 1800 084 881 or take a photo and upload it to the MyPestGuide Reporter.   

We are used to advancements in technology changing the way we live, but did you know it can also assist with protecting our plant industries from exotic pests? Early detection of an exotic pest could become more efficient as we take a look at some of the emerging science and technology being developed and deployed to help keep Australia free of a range of exotic pests. Tim Hurst, Surveillance Design and Analysis Officer with Agriculture Victoria explains to us how some of these technologies work in the latest ‘The Good, The Bad, and the Bug-ly’ episode. For more information visit the Urban Plant Health Network . If you see something unusual, call the Exotic Pest Plant Health line on 1800 084 881 or take a photo and upload it to the MyPestGuide Reporter.  Glossary: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)  

There are around 1,700 species of native bees that have been given names by scientists, but it is estimated there is as many as 2,000. Unlike European honeybees, native bees are mostly not social, preferring to live solitary lives, rather than in large swarms. With that many different native bee species, you may or may not have come across some in urban Melbourne. So how can you encourage these solitary native bees into your garden? Robert McDougall, research scientist with Cesar Australia, explains what some of the more common native bees look like and where they like to live, and how you can encourage them into your garden. For more information visit the Urban Plant Health Network . If you see something unusual, call the Exotic Pest Plant Health line on 1800 084 881 or take a photo and upload it to the MyPestGuide Reporter. 

Queensland Fruit Fly is a significant horticultural pest which creates problems for both home gardeners and fruit producers. The host range of Queensland Fruit Fly is huge as it attacks and damages a wide range of fruit and vegetables. If you find Queensland Fruit Fly in your garden, you can find information on how to manage it on the Agriculture Victoria website. However, this pest doesn’t need to be reported. Join the regional coordinator of the Yarra Valley Queensland Fruit Fly Group, Bronwyn Koll as she explains why this pest is everyone’s problem and why the community needs to get on board with managing Queensland Fruit Fly together and the ways that we can all do that. For more information visit the Urban Plant Health Network or Agriculture Victoria. If you see something unusual, call the Exotic Pest Plant Health line on 1800 084 881 or take a photo and upload it to the MyPestGuide Reporter. 

As the last major honey producing content that is free of the Varroa destructor mite, it’s important for the health of our honey bee populations that we keep it that way. But how do we protect our honey bees from pests and diseases that aren’t even here yet? If you are a beekeeper, you can help by becoming a honey bee pest warrior! Bee Biosecurity Officer with Agriculture Victoria, Ally Driessen, talks all things honeybees and biosecurity and how beekeepers can become honey bee pest warriors. Agriculture Victoria delivers the Victorian components of the National Bee Biosecurity Program (NBBP) and National Bee Pest Surveillance Program (NBPSP), and provides significant co-investment and expertise. Both of these programs are coordinated by Plant Health Australia (PHA) and funded by state and territory governments and Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) through their PHA levy. Hort Innovation provides significant investment to the NBPSP using research and development levies of horticultural industries. Other investment partners include Grains Producers Australia, the Victorian Honey Bee Compensation and Industry Development Fund and the Australian Government. For more information visit the Urban Plant Health Network or Agriculture Victoria. If you see something unusual, call the Exotic Pest Plant Health line on 1800 084 881 or take a photo and upload it to the MyPestGuide Reporter.

Did you know Australia has a number one priority exotic plant pest? Xylella fastidiosa is a bacteria which poses a threat to Australian agricultural and horticultural industries, as well as having the potential to do some real damage to our native trees and plants. With over 600 different plant species at risk, everything from grapes and olives, citrus, berries and stone fruits, as well as ornamentals, the race is on to prepare Australia for a potential incursion. In this episode, Craig Elliott from the National Xylella Preparedness Program, funded by Wine Australia and Hort Innovation, explains more about this pest and what is being done to manage its spread across the globe. For more information visit the Urban Plant Health Network. If you see something unusual, call the Exotic Pest Plant Health line on 1800 084 881 or take a photo and upload it to the MyPestGuide Reporter. 

Red Imported Fire Ants are an invasive species of ants that can destroy crops and injure livestock, kill native flora and fauna, wreck infrastructure, and make community gatherings and weekend sports a thing of the past if left to infest the land. To top it off they are highly aggressive and pack a very nasty sting! Although exotic to Victoria, they have been causing a big problem in south-east Queensland, where they have found a perfect habitat with no predators and great weather. Biosecurity Queensland has been battling fire ants for the past twenty-years, and still believe that they can completely eradicate this pest. In this episode, Kate Retzki from the National Fire Ant Eradication Program explains more about the biggest eradication effort for an ant species in the world. For more information visit the Urban Plant Health Network or the National Fire Ant Eradication Program. If you see something unusual, call the Exotic Pest Plant Health line on 1800 084 881 or take a photo and upload it to the MyPestGuide Reporter. 

Hitchhiker pests are bugs that can hitch a ride to Australia via imported material. Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs can come to Australia on a variety of different objects and tend to shelter together in large numbers, making them not only an agricultural and horticultural pest but also a nuisance pest for households as well. Antonette Walford, entomologist with Agriculture Victoria explains what these bugs look like and what to do if you happen to find one. For more information visit the Urban Plant Health Network. If you see something unusual, call the Exotic Pest Plant Health line on 1800 084 881 or take a photo and upload it to the MyPestGuide Reporter.