Detailed Explanation of Key Technical Points for Farming the Migratory Locust (Locusta migratoria manilensis)
I. Introduction to the East Asian Migratory Locust
The East Asian migratory locust belongs to the class Insecta, order Orthoptera, family Acrididae. According to statistics, the superfamily Acridoidea has a total of 223 genera and 859 species. It is one of the better varieties among locusts. The East Asian migratory locust grows under natural temperature conditions, with two generations per year. The first generation is called the summer locust, and the second generation is called the autumn locust. The migratory locust has six legs, divided into three parts: head, thorax and abdomen. The thorax has two pairs of wings; the forewings are coriaceous (leathery) and the hindwings are membranous. The body is yellowish-brown; males show bright yellow during the mating period. The female locust has a body length of 39.5-51.2 mm. The male locust has a body length of 33.0-41.5 mm. After becoming an adult, it is good at jumping and flying.
The East Asian 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 it is plump, it can be sold, so the time is short and the return is quick. Rearing 10,000 adult East Asian migratory locusts can reach 40 jin. At the current market selling price of 15-25 yuan per jin, the economic benefit is considerable, and the seed stock only needs to be purchased once. Self-breeding multiplies them dozens of times: eggs hatch into locusts, locusts lay eggs, and the cycle repeats. With many years of rearing, one can keep selling continuously. One female locust can lay more than 35-90 eggs at a time.
The reason the migratory locust is favored is that its meat is soft, tender and nutritious. According to expert analysis and measurement, its protein content is as high as 74.88%, its fat content is 5.25%, and its carbohydrate content is 4.77%, and it contains 18 kinds of amino acids and various active substances.
II. Farming and Management of the East Asian Migratory Locust
1. Construction of the locust farming shed and preparation of the shed ground
Before building the shed, first eliminate ants and mole crickets on the ground completely, using methods such as capture, trapping and killing, and burning with fire. The above several kinds of animals are natural enemies of locusts; they can prey on locusts and destroy locust eggs, so these animals must absolutely not be allowed to exist inside the shed. 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 if sandy loam is used; this soil does not easily clump and is convenient for egg laying and egg collection. On the ground where the shed is built, sow wheat and other monocotyledonous crops, to prepare food for the young locusts.
The construction area of the shed should be determined according to the number of locusts being reared. To rear 10,000, 15 sq m is enough. An idle space inside or outside the courtyard can be used. According to one's own conditions, iron, large poles or bamboo strips can be used to build a shed frame. Then, according to the size of this shed frame, use cold cloth to make a shed cover like a mosquito net, hang it on the shed frame, bury the bottom edge underground, and leave a doorway; install a zipper on the doorway. This device is to prevent the 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), they are not afraid of rain, so the plastic sheeting may be omitted. If natural conditions are used to farm the migratory locust, the construction of the shed must be completed before the end of April. It is advisable to choose a sunny place.
2. Hatching and management of migratory locust eggs. When the temperature reaches 25-30°C, hatching can begin; the natural temperature reaches this in early May. First prepare non-toxic soil and sawdust at 2:1, with a water content of 10-15%, spread it 2-3 cm deep in a container, distribute the locust eggs evenly on the soil, then cover the eggs with about 1 cm of soil, and place a layer of film over the container. Check once every half day. After young locusts are found, use a soft brush to move the young locusts onto the food inside the shed. After a 12-15 day hatching process, all young locusts hatch out. Young locusts like to eat fresh and tender wheat seedlings, corn seedlings, weeds and other monocotyledons, but their food intake is very small. For young locusts of instars 1-3, attention should be paid to preventing rain. The temperature is best controlled between 25-30°C, light for more than 12 hours, and humidity maintained at about 15%, because under such conditions locusts are most active, like to eat, and grow favorably. Within the third instar, migratory locusts like to live in groups.
3. Feeding and management from the third instar and above to the adult stage
After emerging from the egg, young locusts molt once every 5-7 days. Each molt is one instar. Strong ones molt quickly, weak ones molt slowly, and during the hatching process there is also a difference in the order in which they emerge from the soil. Those above the third instar fly especially fast, and their food intake gradually increases. At this time, it is necessary to ensure there is sufficient food in the shed. First, if the locusts do not eat enough, it will affect normal growth. In addition, the phenomenon of the strong eating the weak and the big eating the small will appear, especially locusts that are molting cannot move and their bodies are very soft, so there is a risk of being eaten or bitten and injured. For locusts above the third instar, wheat bran can be added. Clean the shed once every 1-2 days to keep the shed clean. After the locusts molt five times, they grow into adults. This time is about June 15. Migratory locusts generally enter sexual maturity 10 to 15 days after eclosion and begin mating. At this time the migratory locusts are very plump and strong. Apart from leaving some locusts for egg laying, the others can be sold on the market; the time is best in early July.
4. Management before and after egg laying by the migratory locust
After mating, the female locust's abdomen gradually becomes thick and long, and the yellowish-brown color deepens, while the male locust appears bright yellow. At this time, the ground of the shed should be leveled and tamped, to facilitate egg laying by the female locust. If the shed is large and there are few migratory locusts, in order to concentrate egg laying and make it convenient to collect eggs later, part of the ground inside the shed can be covered with plastic sheeting, leaving only the sunny part of the ground as the egg-laying area. Keep the humidity in the shed at about 15%. At this time the locusts eat a great deal, so they should be carefully supplied with enough. Female locusts begin laying eggs around July 10. The female locust's ovipositor is short, thick and curved, consisting of two pairs of hard chisel-shaped ovipositor valves, with which it penetrates the soil to form a hole and lay eggs. While laying eggs, it secretes a gelatinous fluid, which after solidifying forms a water-resistant protective layer outside the eggs, enclosing the eggs into an egg pod, which protects the eggs through the winter.
The egg pod of the East Asian migratory locust is brown, slightly cylindrical, slightly curved in the middle, generally 40-70 mm long. Each locust egg pod has more than 35-90 eggs, and a very small number have more than 100. This is the summer locust. The locust eggs are laid in the soil inside the shed. The eggs used to hatch the second generation "autumn locust" can remain undisturbed in the shed. When temperature, humidity, light and other conditions reach the hatching requirements, the young locusts of the second-generation autumn locust will naturally emerge from the soil, around July 20-25. Locust eggs prepared for sale or temporarily not used for the second generation should be taken out in time and stored with soil at 10%-15% humidity, one layer of soil and one layer of eggs, with the last layer being soil, placed in a large jar, the jar mouth sealed, and stored in a refrigerator at 5°C. The feeding conditions and methods before and after egg laying are basically the same as those for locusts above the third instar. The difference is that daily light must reach 16 hours, and feed must be sufficient with more concentrated feed added.
III. Wintering management of locust eggs
Wintering of locust eggs is very simple. We can let the locust eggs in the shed overwinter in place. After winter begins, cover the locust egg-laying area with some weeds, which can serve the purpose of keeping warm.
IV. Locusts' food preferences and aversions, and their natural enemies
1. The East Asian migratory locust has a very wide feeding range, just like feeding sheep. It likes to eat: reed, thatch, Pennisetum, Xianlian grass, Pan grass, etc. Gramineae: corn, wheat, sorghum, millet, etc. Plants the migratory locust does not like to eat.
2. When collecting food for the migratory locust, pay great attention to avoid using food with pesticides. If you are not sure about the collected food, it can be washed in water before feeding.
In addition, it should be noted and reminded that beginner farmers can buy seed stock from farms or farmers, and either locusts or eggs can be introduced.
Special reminder: locusts are a special type of farming. When there are no orders and no reliable sales channels, farming should be done with caution.