Mass Departure of Locust Swarms in Relation to Temperature

Abstract

FLYING swarms of locusts often cannot be effectively attacked from the air because of the danger to the aircraft. Attention is therefore focused on the circumstances in which a swarm will remain on the ground. In Kenya the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forsk.), roosts overnight in trees and shrubs and usually takes to flight at some time during the morning. The prediction of the time of take-off is important in deciding the number of sorties an aircraft can make before the locusts leave, and therefore the number of aircraft required and the distance from which they can usefully operate.