The Locust Swarm


What is happening in Trinidad and Tobago?

In Trinidad and Tobago, we are currently facing a locust invasion. The locusts are affecting south Trinidad and started approximately two weeks ago. Every year Trinidad is affected by the Moruga locusts (Coscineuta virens), but this year in particular the locusts are more widespread and more abundant. Eyewitness reports confirm tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of locusts devastating the standard of living in the south lands.

Figure 1: showing locusts covering the sky (Guardian media 2021)

Why are the locusts bad for us?

Locusts are considered pests throughout the world. They eat any crops in sight, which is devastating to the southern farmers and can be a grave threat to food security in Trinidad and Tobago. However, this is not only bad for the crops but also devastating for the residents that live in the affected areas such as Prince’s Town and Moruga. Locusts are so abundant that they act as a blanket over these southern communities. These pests get into every nook and cranny; vehicles, houses, and clothes. Nothing is left untouched by the locusts. It is forcing residents to lock up their houses and stay inside to prevent the pests from entering their homes. Residents in these areas stated that they had never experienced a locust invasion like this before. The locusts are more numerous and more resilient.

Could you imagine living through this invasion?

Video 1: showing locusts on someone's house (TikTok: amritaramlal 2021)

How can the swarms be controlled?

Climate change is one of the driving factors of locust invasions. The unpredictable weather causes vegetation to grow in excess due to longer and more intense wet seasons. This excess vegetation causes the locust to eat more and reproduce resulting in a surge of locusts. Since controlling climate change is not possible without the cooperation of the entire world, there are other ways to control the locusts. It is usually managed by aerial spraying of pesticides and ground spraying. This is usually done by the government, for example, the Ministry of Agriculture.

Do you think the Government will come to the rescue of our southern citizens?

Video 2: showing how locusts are surrounding vehicles (TikTok: djareon 2021)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Manatees in Trinidad and Tobago

Image
What are Manatees? Manatees, though they live in water, are classified as mammals because they come up to the surface every three to five minutes to get oxygen through their nostrils. In the Caribbean, we have the West Indian Manatee (Latin Name: Trichechus Manatus), also known as the ‘Sea Cow’. These gentle giants can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh up to 1200 pounds. Their diet consists of seagrasses and small invertebrates, consuming up to 15% of their body weight in vegetation. It is believed that the lack of predators in Trinidad and Tobago allows our Manatees to live up to sixty (60) years. Figure 1: showing a manatee floating (WNW Press Release 2021) What is the Status of our Manatees? In Trinidad, the Nariva Swamp is the most well-known habitat for manatees. However, based on an evaluation by UNEP/CEP in 1995, they determined that the manatee population consisted of twenty-five (25) to thirty (30) individuals in total. At that time the trend was that the population was de...
Read more

Trinidad White-fronted Capuchin

Image
  Their Status: In Trinidad and Tobago there are a wide variety of mammals that live here unlike any other island. Our islands lie the closest to South America meaning that we have both continental and tropical species of flora and fauna. The White-fronted Capuchin is a monkey that can be found in many South American countries such as Venezuela (the closest South American country to Trinidad and Tobago), Columbia, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador as well as in Trinidad and Tobago. Each country has its own subset or variation in the species that makes it unique. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature 2008, the Trinidad White-fronted Capuchin was declared as a critically endangered species with a total population size of 61 mature individuals in Trinidad and Tobago. When a species is critically endangered it means that the population size is less than 250 mature individuals. Since being classified as a critically endangered species there has been no furth...
Read more

Deforestation in Trinidad and Tobago

Image
What is deforestation in Trinidad and Tobago? Deforestation is defined as the removal of trees from forested areas across the world. Locally, we have three main forested areas: the Northern range, Central Range in Trinidad, and the Main Ridge in Tobago. It is important to mention that South Trinidad is also largely forested especially in and around the Trinity Hills. These forested areas are constantly under attack by legal and illegal deforestation. Figure 1: showing deforestation in Trinidad (Loop News 2021) Deforestation in Trinidad and Tobago Firstly, not all deforestation is illegal. Companies that require space for infrastructural development can apply to the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) for approval on the project. The EMA can determine the impact that the project would cause on the environment based on the details of the venture. Lumber companies also need to apply for a license before they teardown trees from any area. However, a large portion of the trees ...
Read more