Pest insects

Pest insects can have adverse and damaging impacts on agricultural production and market access, the natural environment, and our lifestyle. Pest insects may cause problems by damaging crops and food production, parasitising livestock, or being a nuisance and health hazard to humans.

Western Australia is free from some of the world's major pest insects. Biosecurity measures on your property are vital in preventing the spread of insects.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development provides:

  • biosecurity/quarantine measures at the WA border to prevent the entry of pest insects
  • where relevant post border biosecurity measures
  • advice on widespread pest insects present in the state.

For advice on pest insects search our website, the Western Australian Organism List or contact our Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS).

For diagnostic services, please contact our Diagnostic Laboratory Services.

Articles

  • Polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB) Euwallacea fornicatus is a beetle native to Southeast Asia. The beetle attacks a wide range of plants by tunnelling into trunks, stems and branches.

  • DPIRD is investigating the detection of the exotic pest red dwarf honey bee (Apis florea) discovered on the Burrup Peninsula near Karratha.

  • Be on the lookout for the polyphagous shot-hole borer

  • The Western Australian grain storage industry is focused on sealed storage and fumigation to achieve the federally mandated ‘nil tolerance’ for live insects in exports.

  • Early identification of important invasive and native problematic ants within Western Australia is critical to achieving successful control and preventing invasive ant species from gaining a footho

  • Red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is one of the most serious ant pests in the world and was found to be established in Brisbane, Queensland, in 2001.

  • Red imported fire ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta, is one of the most serious and invasive ant pests in the world, because of its harmful effects on people, agriculture, flora and fauna, in

  • A Quarantine Area Notice is in place that applies restrictions to the movement of host plants produced in the Quarantine Area to other areas in the state where tomato-potato psyllid is not known to

  • Citrophilus mealybug (Pseudococcus calceolariae) is a serious pest of many horticultural industries that can downgrade fruit quality and affect fruit production.

  • The European wasp is considered one of the worst wasps in the world - harmful to people, our outdoor lifestyle and to our horticultural and agricultural industries.

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