Harvesting Desert Locusts for Food and Feed may Contribute to Crop Protection but will not Suppress Upsurges and Plagues

Summary

The desert locust is the most destructive locust species in the world. Locusts differ from grasshoppers in behaviour as they can form hopper bands and swarms. During plagues in the past, locusts have been collected or destroyed by mechanical means. One of the control methods that are being suggested is to collect the locusts for consumption instead of using pesticides. Upsurges and plagues are an ideal opportunity to harvest these insects for food and feed. However, this is unlikely to significantly reduce the population.