Locust-busting is getting an upgrade

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.

The problem is that swarms grow fast. In the right conditions, 1,000 locusts can become 20,000 within three months, and 160m within a year. The last big upsurge, which began in the Arabian peninsula in 2018, lasted three years and affected countries as far afield as Tanzania and Iran. Fortunately, this invasion also drove investment into new locust-hunting tools. Some of this is now beginning to pay off.