KATHMANDU: The swarm of locusts that entered the country from neighboring India has reached the capital too.
A large group of locusts was seen traveling towards the east via Kathmandu.
The locusts estimated to be between 500,000 to 700,000 in number are believed to have rested for the night in the Nagarjun jungle above Swayambhu, according to Chief of the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre Sahadev Humagain.
Along with the wind blowing from the east to the west, the locusts are traveling towards the west. Locusts are a collection of certain species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase.
These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstances they become more abundant and change their behavior and habits, becoming gregarious, according to Wikipedia.
They feed on green plants and eat off the leaves and even stem in minutes. Every locust feeds an amount equal to its weight, hence causing significant damage to crops and vegetation.
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