Thousands of locusts invaded fields in the municipality of Tizimín, a situation that puts the crops at risk, since these insects are capable of devastating hectares in a matter of hours.
Uncertainty and fear exists among the farmers who grow corn in the area, as thousands of locusts were sighted near the city of Tizimín.
Although the rate of locust presence has been reduced through the actions that the Local Plant Health Board has been developing for years to monitor, study, and combat locusts in this area, which put crops at risk not only in cornfields but also on citrus orchards.
A sleeve of locusts that was fluttering in this sector of the city was caught on video, the acridids can be seen perched on trees by the thousands, and others colliding against cars and houses and falling on the ground.
This situation alerted the locals. who showed evident concern about the massive presence of these insects, which are capable of devastating an entire cornfield in a matter of hours.
Local farmer Marcelino Cahum mentioned that years ago the locusts caused devastation in this area to the point of bringing a serious famine that lasted for three years.
Back then, the locusts devoured everything in their path, people had to consume roots for lack of grain at that time because corn began to be scarce, from then on there have been locust stalks that have eaten entire milpas, but not in such a large proportion like the one sighted more than 80 years ago in this part of Yucatan.
In previous years, studies and monitoring were carried out using chips to learn more about this acridid, since it is a permanent breeding area where the locusts remain and reproduce as long as the soil conditions and climate are favorable, if these environmental conditions change and are not conducive, the number of the population grows and migrates forming sleeves that invade cultivated areas.
In the breeding areas, the rains allow the development of the two annual generations, a short and rapid in the spring and a longer one in the summer. The adult locusts spend the dry season in reproductive pause, until the first spring rains, if the spring rains are sufficient, a third generation may surge.
TYT Newsroom
