Locusts invade Manama

Weeks after dealing with a mosquito menace, Manama is now preparing to battle a different kind of infestation, this time in the form of locusts. Locusts, related to grasshoppers, are sometimes solitary insects with lifestyles much like grasshoppers. However, under favorable environmental conditions, locusts can congregate into thick, mobile, ravenous swarms, which according to experts will be a “devastating natural disaster”.

According to various reports, several instances of locusts sighting have been reported from Manama to the authorities there. “A team from the ministry has visited many areas in Manama to find and deal with the insects,” a ministry source told Tribune.   The source confirmed that the Ministry of Works, Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning has set out to tackle the issue and will hold more studies to better understand the locust type and its nature. 

The ministry has reportedly sent samples to a laboratory for further analysis. Current understanding is that the insects found in Manama are a variety of “most dangerous” desert locusts. These insects annually reproduce, concentrate and then form swarms that can move up to 150 kilometers per day in search of food.

According to Prevention Web, a knowledge base about disaster management, a single desert locust swarm the size of Brussels could consume Belgium’s entire food supply in a single day.  The spread, the ministry source said, can be contained by employing various measures including spraying of insecticides.