Locust plagues have been a danger to crop yields for virtually all of our history. At the beginning of this year 2020, a great plague of locusts devastated the crops of a large number of countries in Africa, in addition to Pakistan and India. At the other extreme, they are already mentioned in ancient texts such as the Iliad, the Bible or the Koran, and even the ancient Egyptians knew of their ravages.
Lobsters, also known as grasshoppers or grasshoppers, change their behavior and join in huge swarms of great voracity when certain conditions are met for their reproduction, among other aspects. if you want to learn how to get rid of a plague of locusts in your crops, join us in this EcologíaVerde article in which we talk about several options.
Plague of locusts: which plants do they affect?
Before going into details about how to remove grasshoppers from plants and cropswe want to clarify that when these come together in the great swarms that form the so-called locust plaguesthey become a natural disaster in the area through which they pass of proportions difficult to imagine for anyone who has not witnessed it.
One of the most harmful species is the desert locust, which when swarming, feeds on virtually any green leaf and grain or seed within reach. These swarms are very voracious, and in them each insect can feed on its weight in plants each day. Taking into account that they form swarms of more than 1,000 square kilometers, and up to 80 million locusts per square kilometer, so the numbers speak for themselves.
They are very voracious insects that destroy all kinds of cropsseriously damaging the economy and livelihood of entire countries, by drastically reducing the amount of food for people in the area.
How to get rid of a plague of locusts – chemicals
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to deal with large swarms of locusts when they show up. Most effective large-scale treatments rely on the use of pesticides and chemicals that can be harmful to other animals, including humans. In addition, many of these products are only effective when applied in the early stages of locust development, so it is vital to be able to detect the threat in advance and thus be able to treat the ground in time.
Among the resources at our disposal are the insect growth regulator pesticides, which affect young insects when they shed their skin and grow. They are applied in several narrow lines on the ground, so that by the time the insects have passed through several of the bands, they have absorbed enough pesticide to die from shedding.
Also exist biopesticidesWhat are they natural mushrooms that when applied on young lobsters, they end up eliminating them. This is an expensive treatment, but it is not harmful to humans or other living things.
How to eliminate a plague of locusts – natural remedies
We can also use natural remedies to eliminate a plague of locusts. In fact, this is always the best option when we are faced with smaller pests that can affect our orchard or garden. Natural remedies have much milder consequences on the environment, and we do not pollute the environment. Take note:
- One of the most natural measures that exists is to resort to biological pest control. This is the oldest system in the world, and it consists of simply attracting or putting on the ground to treat predators that feed on the plague. In the case of lobsters or grasshoppers, some of the species that work best are chickens and ducks. Both species of birds find in these insects one of their favorite foods, and in the case of chickens, we will also have all the other advantages that can be derived from organic farming, including fresh eggs to eat and guano to make high-quality natural fertilizer. worth. We can also resort to various arachnids or parasitoid flies, quite effective. Learn more about this technique in this other post on Biological Pest Control: what it is, advantages, disadvantages and examples.
- Another of the home remedies to get rid of grasshoppers is a natural insecticide that is a ecological anti locust what can you do with only water and seeds Melia Azedarach or Paradise tree. Take about 100 or 125 grams of these seeds and grind them with the help of a mortar, as fine as you can. Dilute them in half a liter of water, stir vigorously and let the mixture stand overnight. After that, filter it and apply it with the help of a sprayer. Use the mixture on all the plants to be protected, making sure to cover them completely. It is preferable to carry out the application at dawn or dusk, which is when the plants will feel less of this humidity on them, and renew the application once a week. Keep in mind that this is a mixture that, although completely natural, is toxic to most animals, so be especially careful with your pets or children in the treated area.
- You can also use a solution with garlic, onion and chillies, hot peppers or chili. They are enough separately, but you can also add them all to the mix if you want to be sure. Blend the ingredients and filter them, and then dilute this concentrated solution in four parts of water for each part of the mixture.
Learn more about pests in crops and plants with this other EcologíaVerde guide on Plant pests and diseases: lists and how to eliminate them.
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