How exactly are locusts farmed? A full breakdown of methods and techniques
I think everyone has seen locusts as a child, right? It is an insect that has the role of catching pests in the fields. In fact, it can not only catch pests, its own nutritional value is also very high, it contains rich protein, so in many places it can also be made into a delicious dish.
How exactly should locusts be farmed
Locusts belong to the class Insecta, order Orthoptera, family Acrididae. According to statistics, the superfamily Acridoidea has a total of 223 genera and 859 species. The Oriental migratory locust grows under natural temperature conditions, with two generations per year, the first generation called the summer locust, and the second the autumn locust. Now artificial farming can be converted to 3 generations per year. Female locusts have a body length of 39.5-51.2 mm, and male locusts 33.0-41.5 mm. Adults are good at jumping and good at flying. The Oriental migratory locust has a stout body, a wide feeding range, and strong adaptability. After hatching into a young locust, it can become an adult after a 35-day rearing process, and after about 50 days, once fat and strong, it can be sold, so the time is short and the returns are quick. Raising 10,000 adult Oriental migratory locusts can reach 20 kg, and its economic benefit is considerable, and the seed only needs to be purchased once. Self-breeding multiplies them dozens of times, eggs hatch locusts, locusts lay eggs, and the cycle repeats, allowing years of rearing and continuous selling. A single female locust can lay 35-90 or more eggs at a time. The reason migratory locusts are favored is that their flesh is soft, fresh and tender, and rich in nutrients. According to expert analysis and measurement, their protein content is as high as 74.88%, fat content 5.25%, carbohydrate content 4.77%, and they contain 18 kinds of amino acids and various active substances.
Farming varieties of locusts
Insect farming varieties generally need to consider: growth cycle, number of generations, size, taste, feeding habits, color, dormancy and other factors. The superfamily Acridoidea has tens of thousands of varieties. Theory and practice have proven that the Oriental migratory locust is one of the relatively superior varieties among locusts, and is currently the most farmed variety. Advantages of the Oriental migratory locust: 1. Larger body; 2. Delicious taste; 3. Bright color; 4. More generations; 5. Shorter growth cycle; 6. Phytophagous, polyphagous.
The Oriental migratory locust is the primary pest causing locust plagues in our country, and is one of the three subspecies of the genus Locusta in China (explanation). The genus Locusta has only one species worldwide. Due to differences in geographical distribution and differences in external morphology and related ratios of different body parts, 9-10 subspecies are known, and China has three subspecies: the Oriental migratory locust, the Asian migratory locust, and the Tibetan migratory locust.
The Oriental migratory locust is an insect with incomplete metamorphosis, and has 3 stages in its life, namely egg ---- locust nymph (larva) ---- adult. The Oriental migratory locust generally can occur 2--4 generations a year, with the 1st generation (1--2 generations in Hainan) conventionally called the “summer locust”, and the 2nd generation (3--4 generations in Hainan) called the “autumn locust”. Growth cycle: about 35 days to become an adult, and about 50 days (approximately) to be sold. Female locusts die normally after laying eggs, and male locusts die normally after mating.
Construction of the locust farming shed
1. Site selection
Choose a well-ventilated place with plenty of sunlight.
2. Eliminate natural enemies
Before building the shed, first use methods such as catching, trapping and killing, and scalding with boiling water to eliminate ants, mole crickets and other such creatures on the ground, because the above several animals are natural enemies of locusts and can prey on locusts and destroy locust eggs, so these animals absolutely must not be allowed to exist inside the shed.
3. Ground
The ground of the shed should be 10-15 cm higher than the surrounding ground, in order to facilitate drainage in the rainy season. The soil quality is best as sandy loam, as this soil does not easily clump and is convenient for laying and collecting eggs, but it must not be too soft; locusts have very high requirements for egg laying.
4. Density
The area of the shed depends on the number of locusts; generally 600-800 adults can be raised per square meter.
5. Building the shed
According to your own conditions, you can use wooden sticks or bamboo strips to build a shed frame. Then, according to the size of this frame, use gauze to make a shed cover like a mosquito net, hang it on the frame, bury the bottom edge underground, leave a doorway, and install a zipper on the doorway. This setup is meant to keep locusts from escaping and to make it convenient to enter the shed for feeding and management. The height of the shed can be 1.5-2 m. To keep warm or prevent rain, plastic sheeting can be placed over the outside of the shed. When the temperature is high and the locusts are larger (third instar and above) and not afraid of rain, the plastic sheeting may be omitted. If using natural conditions to farm migratory locusts, the construction of the shed must be completed before the end of April.
6. There should be corn and other taller plants inside the shed for isolation.
Development, hatching and management of locust eggs
The starting development temperature range for migratory locusts is 20-42 degrees, the suitable development temperature is 25-40 degrees, and the optimum temperature is 28-35 degrees. Under relative humidity of 85%-92% or soil moisture content of 15-18%, the suitable development temperature is 25-32 degrees, and the natural temperature in northern China reaches this in early May. After purchasing eggs, simply place the locust eggs directly into the soil and wait for them to hatch naturally. After a 10-15 day hatching process, all the locust nymphs hatch out. Locust nymphs have a very small food intake and are delicate, so attention should be paid to rain protection.
Feeding and management of locusts
1. Environmental conditions: the suitable development temperature for locusts is 25-32 degrees C, relative humidity 85%-92%, soil moisture content 15%-18%. Below 14 degrees C or above 40 degrees C, locusts gradually stop feeding and die.
2. Hatching management: when the temperature reaches 28-30 degrees C, locust eggs begin to hatch. First prepare non-toxic soil and sawdust powder and mix them at 1:2, with a moisture content of 20%-30%, spread 3-5 cm of soil in a container and pat it firm, then spread the locust eggs on the soil, and cover with about 1 cm of the mixed soil. Finally, cover the container with a layer of film, check once every half day, and after finding small locusts, use a soft brush to brush them onto the food inside the shed. After 10-15 days, small locusts hatch out.
3. Rearing and hatching: newly emerged small locusts like to eat fresh and tender wheat seedlings, corn seedlings, weeds and other monocotyledonous plants, but their food intake is very small. Locusts of the 1st-3rd instar should be protected from rain. From emergence to adulthood, locusts need about 27-35 days. During this period they molt once every 5-7 days, for a total of 5 molts. After the 5th instar, locusts gradually begin to mate and lay eggs, and each locust lays about 70-100 eggs. In order to feed and to reproduce and lay eggs, locusts like to live in groups and migrate by flying, so after locusts emerge as adults and before egg laying, appropriate disturbance should be given to make them migrate, so as to increase the quantity and quality of egg laying. Before freezing, some wheat bran, weeds and the like should be added over the egg-laying area to keep it warm and moist and prevent the eggs from freezing and cracking. Adult locusts in the growing period that are not kept for breeding should be sold in time.
If you want to farm locusts, the first thing is to first understand their living habits, and then build a living environment suitable for their growth and survival. This is the first step to successful farming. The second is to communicate more with other people who have successfully farmed them, and learn more from their successful techniques and methods.