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Locusts Swarm Northeast Kenya
Voracious pest could strip bare nation's crops
By Zach Samalin
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Posted Dec 7, 07 2:28 PM CST
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(Newser)
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Threatened by the largest swarm of locusts seen in Kenya since the 1960s, authorities have begun spraying crops in affected areas in hopes of exterminating the rapacious pests before they have a chance to lay eggs. The locusts, each of which can consume its own weight in food daily, have already done serious damage to the African nation's crops, the BBC reports.
"These pests cause a great damage to crops, pasture and browse if left uncontrolled," said the agriculture minister, AFP reports. If the egg-laying is successful, "hoppers" will hatch within 2 weeks, quickly mature, and begin stripping the countryside bare. Kenya has been locust-free for years, but other parts of Africa, primarily the horn, have been hit hard in the recent past.