LOCUSTS AND FIRES
	PAT and Ron Legg, our readers in Melbourn, Australia, who read the magazine on the website, have sent us several e-mails about the serious events happening in Australia at the moment.  First about the devastating locust plague, who eat everything green in front of them, and the raging fires which the Leggs have told us about in other years.  In last February’s magazine they told us about the terrible drought Australia was experiencing then.  It was some months before much rain fell. December 24th The biggest locust plague in 30 years is moving into the North Central area of Victoria.  The locusts numbers have increased rapidly as they moved through New South Wales, helped by northerly winds they have crossed into Victoria.  This is the biggest plague since the Australian Plague Locust Commission was established in 1975. The experts tell us that with wind assistance the adult can advance 30 kilometres in a day.  Aerial spraying of the adult locusts is more difficult in Victoria due to the number of houses on smaller properties and more creeks and rivers.  Motorists have been advised to carry cleaning equipment to clean their windscreens as the windscreen wipers and washers are not able to cope with the volume of locust crushing onto the windscreen. It appears locusts are one of nature’s survivors.  The danger period for plague locust activity is from August to May.  Eggs laid last autumn in ideal locations would hatch when the warmth and moisture are suitable. Female locusts lay 2-3 pods of eggs, each pod contains about 50 eggs.  In plague situations there can be up to 100 pods per square metre. Pat and Ron have just told us about more fires this year. January 14th There have been more details reported on the two fires in South Australia and Victoria.  In S.A. the fire razed 83,000ha, destroyed 80 buildings and injured 113 people.  No further deaths than the 9 reported. Up to 350,000 head of livestock, mostly sheep, may have been lost in the blaze.  Some farmers ran out of bullets yesterday as they destroyed injured sheep.  Early estimates put the damage at A$15 million. In Victoria about 550 fire fighters fought the fire which burnt through 9,500ha and killed more than 6,000 livestock.  With high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity the risk of flare-ups is quite high in both areas. Editor