Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Press Statement: Outbreak of Desert Locusts in the Eastern Africa Region
Introduction The second half of the year 2019 recorded unusually high rains in most parts of Eastern Africa that had not been seen in many years. These rains incidentally fell also in the semi-arid traditional Desert Locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) breeding ecological areas of Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia. The favourable conditions facilitated further locusts breeding, multiplication and spread into Kenya. Facts about the Desert Locust Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is a species of short- horned grasshopper family. It is characterized by its nature of high mobility (migratory) and broad-spectrum feeding habits. Locust Status/ Phases Locusts have the ability to alter their behavior, color, size, and shape. When the population density is low, locusts behave as individuals, when the population is high, they swarm and migrate. The locust life cycle comprises three stages of egg, hopper, and adult and it lives a total of three to six months. Locust