While Israelis took to social networks on Saturday posting photos of locusts –
and recipes for eating them – throughout the country’s Center and even North,
the Agriculture Ministry stressed that these are likely not part of a new
swarm.
Last Tuesday, a swarm of desert locusts first entered the country
through the Sinai border, after overtaking much of Egypt for several days. By
Thursday evening, the Agriculture Ministry had reported the Israeli swarm to be
largely eradicated.
As of Saturday night, however, the ministry said that
a small group has been identified near Nahal Lavan in Ramat Hanegev – but
workers were uncertain as to whether these locusts were remnants of the previous
onslaught or a new small one.
Regarding those found throughout the rest
of the country, particularly those in the Center and North, the ministry said
that these individuals are scattered and are not cause for
concern.
Mapping and pesticide spraying will occur on Sunday morning in
the Ramat Hanegev region, the ministry said. Meanwhile, spraying sessions
concluded on Saturday morning in the Nitzana area as well as in uncultivated
land near the Magen community, where a swarm was detected on Friday.
As
of Saturday night, the ministry reported no sightings of new locust swarms.
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