Experts are predicting the worst outbreak of locusts on record and are asking farmers and small land holders to be on the lookout for the pest.

The Hume Livestock Health and Pest Authority (LHPA) has already consolidated its supply of chemical to target locusts and is also organising a series of meetings to inform landholders about how to best deal with the pest.

LHPA ranger, Trent Fordham said despite predictions of a severe locust outbreak the region was prepared to deal with it.

“As a rough rule of thumb we are expecting locusts to start hatching in October,” he said.

“We are asking landholders to be more vigilant and have a look for locusts when they are walking through their crops.”

Mr Fordham said the extent of locust activity was still a little bit of an unknown quantity.

“The forecast is for one of the worst years on record,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said it was important landholders understood it was their obligation to report locust activity on their land.

And this also applied to owners of small blocks.