Locust-busting is getting an upgrade
From pesticides to drones, new technologies are helping win an age-old battle
IN THE LIST of plagues inflicted upon the people of Egypt in the Book of Exodus, only darkness and death get higher billing than locusts. That ranking is apt. Today, Schistocerca gregaria, also known as the desert locust, is considered the most dangerous migratory pest in the world. Measured by the volume of foliage consumed, a small swarm can devour as much food in a single day as 35,000 people. In places with fragile food security, the effect can be devastating. Outbreaks are regrettably common. As of April 2024 the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), an agency, was monitoring five active outbreaks of S. gregaria in countries near the Red Sea.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Who you gonna call?”
From the April 20th 2024 edition
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