GettyImages April 22, 2021 Brown locusts have survived a long drought in South Africa – here’s how Frances Duncan, University of the Witwatersrand Eggs can remain in the soil for several years with the embryos waiting to receive sufficient moisture to complete development. This results in synchronised hatching when there’s sufficient rain.
The most effective means of controlling locusts is to prevent the swarms from forming. shutterstock October 7, 2020 Explainer: what’s behind the locust swarms damaging crops in southern Africa Frances Duncan, University of the Witwatersrand Locust outbreaks are driven by unusual climatic conditions.
Jamal TaraqaI/EPA June 17, 2020 Huge locust swarms are threatening food security, but drones could help stop them Leisa Armstrong, Edith Cowan University A swarm of roughly 40 million desert locusts can eat the same amount of food in one day as about 35,000 people.
A community volunteer uses a motorised spray to apply pesticide on February 25, 2020 at a locust hatch site in eastern Kenya. Photo by TONY KARUMBA/AFP via Getty Images March 16, 2020 What we found when we tested a botanical pesticide to combat locust invasions Manfred Hartbauer, University of Graz Currently, outbreaks are managed using chemical pesticides or an insect fungus. Neither is a good option.