An organic market farm on Queensland's Sunshine Coast is under attack from wildlife.

Destructive native wood ducks have wreaked havoc on Shambhala farm's crops, eating thousands of dollars worth in recent weeks. Farm manager Mick Warren likened the ducks to an "army" that had decimated entire beds of lettuce and leafy Asian greens in the fields at Doonan, near Noosa. The native wood ducks arrived with the first full moon of winter. "On the full moon they just attack because it gives them light so they can see," Mr Warren said. "All night, all day, 24 hours a day they eat it. "On the full moon we could get up to 50 I reckon, you can hear the noise that they make. "They call their mates in as well." Mr Warren said the crop losses were as high as 100 per cent for lettuce during what is the peak growing season of the year. "You have to net it or they just eat the whole lot: it's crazy. "That's the only way I can stop them, but they even get under the net as well. "They've eaten six or seven cos that aren't under the net, little buggers. "I've tried electric fences and strobe lights, like nightclub flashing lights, and it works to a certain extent. "But netting is best and it does get a bit expensive if you want to net the whole lot." For a while trapping and relocation worked, but Mr Warren said the wood ducks have wised up to his wire trap that has a wide entry point and narrow end, similar to a crab-trap. "I was catching up to 20 at a time in there at the start, but they've got a bit smarter now and they're getting in and getting out as well," Mr Warren said. "I need to upgrade my trap I think and get a better system." Before Shambhala farm owner Craig Hubbard took over the property Mr Warren shot up to six ducks a month with a State Government issued mitigation permit, but now the farm runs on holistic principles, the ducks have been declared off limits. "The boss, he's not into the shooting, so it's just the trap," Mr Warren said. "Plus the neighbours are quite close now and we don't really want to have any bullets going over the fence." Rows of what should have been premium priced organic produce have been ploughed back into the ground. Shambhala farm's communications chief, Erin Young, said the wild wood ducks were part of nature, but the damage was disheartening. "You look at the amount of work that goes into preparing this ground and planting it out," Ms Young said. "The whole point of why we are here is to feed our community and feed ourselves, so there's a whole lot of energy lost and we'll have to start again. "It makes me really grateful that we know other growers who can support us at this time and that's what resilience is about." To ensure supply is kept up to customers at the Noosa and Kawana Waters weekend markets, and the farm's home delivery service, Ms Young said Shambhala is now acting as a food hub, working with other organic growers to source fresh produce. "One thing that we're really working towards is food resilience, which comes in local food systems and broader food systems as well, and having sustainable approaches to support the whole ecology of this food growing system." Farm manager, Mick Warren, was not about to admit defeat to the ducks. "Oh we'll get them, definitely, or we'll just get smarter with what we grow." Source - www.abc.net.au