Israeli crop protection service teams identified isolated details of locusts in four communities in the central Aravah. The Ministry of Agriculture is concerned about the flying of the grasshoppers, which is a nuisance in the air and a major pest to the plants, and the ministry announced that it is prepared and in constant contact with international organizations regarding their movement in the area.

The Ministry of Agriculture announced Monday the fear of a swarm of locusts entering Israel from Jordan in the Middle Aravah region. This was after a few details of locusts were observed this morning in the central Aravah communities. The crop protection service teams at the Ministry of Agriculture are there and are monitoring the event.

As noted, the Ministry began preparing for the entry of swarms of locusts into the territory of the State of Israel already in February. At that time, swarms of locusts were seen in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, some 300 kilometers from Israel, and it appeared that the conditions for the locust flight had not yet matured in the direction of Israel.

The Ministry of Agriculture has prepared in advance to use friendly pesticides that do not endanger people. It should be noted that swarms of locusts do not endanger humans and animals and constitute only a “nuisance” in the air and harmful to agriculture. The ministry is professionally and logistically preparing for such an ongoing event.

The last time was in 2013, when the Ministry of Agriculture predicted the entry of locusts and their movement from Eilat to the Aravah. At the time, the Ministry of Agriculture teams worked to monitor the areas and spray them from the ground and the air on a daily, round-the-clock basis until it was over. These actions preserved local agriculture and left no real damage.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)