Don't panic, the current infestation of grasshoppers in parts of the country will soon blow over.
This was the advice from Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, operations and stewardship manager at CropLife SA, on Monday following panic posts on social media where users from Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Randburg in Joburg and the Western Cape have been complaining about the grasshoppers that have taken over their surroundings. Some even went as far referencing the Bible’s Exodus 10:4, saying “it’s giving Book of Exodus.”
However, Verdoorn told Sowetan that there is no need for alarm. “What we are seeing is actually a grasshopper infestation, not locusts,” he said. “It’s a localised issue in Mpumalanga, mostly due to the high rainfall in recent weeks. When there is a lot of rain, insect populations naturally increase.”
Verdoorn emphasised that the situation poses no agricultural threat. “It’s not the brown locusts, and it’s nothing to worry about.”
The Steve Tshwete municipality in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, one of the areas where the grasshopper infestation has been reported, confirmed to Sowetan that it has received numerous complaints from residents in Aerorand, Rondebosch, Kanonkop and the Middelburg CBD about the grasshoppers.
The city's spokesperson Lerato Kgomo said: "We have received complaints from residents on locust infestation. On Sunday, the department of parks and recreation has been around these areas to spray chemical insecticides so that the locusts don't spread as much. But they are also observing throughout the day how far it is spreading."
Residents are advised to report locust infestation in their areas by contacting the municipal call centre on 013-243-1806/ 013-249-7344/49 or 087-808-7430.
SowetanLIVE
Residents told swarms of grasshoppers not plague of locusts
Infestation due to high rainfall
Image: 123RF
Don't panic, the current infestation of grasshoppers in parts of the country will soon blow over.
This was the advice from Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, operations and stewardship manager at CropLife SA, on Monday following panic posts on social media where users from Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Randburg in Joburg and the Western Cape have been complaining about the grasshoppers that have taken over their surroundings. Some even went as far referencing the Bible’s Exodus 10:4, saying “it’s giving Book of Exodus.”
However, Verdoorn told Sowetan that there is no need for alarm. “What we are seeing is actually a grasshopper infestation, not locusts,” he said. “It’s a localised issue in Mpumalanga, mostly due to the high rainfall in recent weeks. When there is a lot of rain, insect populations naturally increase.”
Verdoorn emphasised that the situation poses no agricultural threat. “It’s not the brown locusts, and it’s nothing to worry about.”
The Steve Tshwete municipality in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, one of the areas where the grasshopper infestation has been reported, confirmed to Sowetan that it has received numerous complaints from residents in Aerorand, Rondebosch, Kanonkop and the Middelburg CBD about the grasshoppers.
The city's spokesperson Lerato Kgomo said: "We have received complaints from residents on locust infestation. On Sunday, the department of parks and recreation has been around these areas to spray chemical insecticides so that the locusts don't spread as much. But they are also observing throughout the day how far it is spreading."
Residents are advised to report locust infestation in their areas by contacting the municipal call centre on 013-243-1806/ 013-249-7344/49 or 087-808-7430.
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