Can desert locusts be eaten, and will they enter China?

Not long ago, 360 billion desert locusts from Africa had already reached the territories of Pakistan and India, just a stone's throw from our country. This kind of locust has strong reproductive capacity, so it is very difficult to prevent and control. Some people have begun to suggest solving the problem by eating them, so can desert locusts be eaten? Can they enter China?

I. Introduction to desert locusts:

1. Are desert locusts poisonous?

Desert locusts are poisonous. This is especially true of locusts after they take flight in swarms, when the toxin increases. When in danger, desert locusts secrete benzonitrile in their bodies, which is highly toxic. After the locust dies, it transforms into another substance, hydrocyanic acid, also known as hydrogen cyanide. The clinical manifestations of acute hydrogen cyanide poisoning are a distinct bitter almond odor in the patient's exhaled breath; mild poisoning mainly manifests as chest tightness, palpitations, increased heart rate, headache, nausea, vomiting, and blurred vision. Severe poisoning mainly manifests as a state of deep coma, shallow and rapid breathing, paroxysmal convulsions, and even tonic spasms.

2. What do desert locusts mainly eat while growing?

Desert locusts have a wide diet and can eat cotton, alfalfa, various beans and wheat, wheat, barley, corn, flax, tobacco, tomatoes, potatoes, melons (muskmelon, watermelon, cucumber, etc.), and so on. They also eat wild plants such as camel thorn and other plants of the Lamiaceae family, as well as wild and cultivated woody plants, such as grapes, barberry, apricot trees, Cerasus species, almonds, mulberry, citrus, date palm, figs, pomegranate, papaya, and other trees.

II. Can desert locusts be eaten?

Artificially farmed desert locusts can be eaten, but they cannot be eaten directly. Generally, locusts just after hatching have no toxin and can be eaten, but if they are locusts after taking flight in swarms, the toxin increases and they are not suitable for consumption. Because desert locusts carry viruses, when in danger, desert locusts secrete benzonitrile in their bodies, which is highly toxic. After the locust dies, it transforms into another substance, hydrocyanic acid, also known as hydrogen cyanide. The clinical manifestations of acute hydrogen cyanide poisoning are a distinct bitter almond odor in the patient's exhaled breath; mild poisoning mainly manifests as chest tightness, palpitations, increased heart rate, headache, nausea, vomiting, and blurred vision. Severe poisoning mainly manifests as a state of deep coma, shallow and rapid breathing, paroxysmal convulsions, and even tonic spasms. During World War II, it was used as a poison gas bomb.

The desert locust itself is a medicinal substance. It can be used to make medicine. Locusts at different stages of maturity are used differently, and the processing methods are also different. Scorpions and centipedes are even more poisonous, yet they can likewise be used as medicine. As long as the appropriate method is used, it is fine.

III. Can desert locusts enter China?

Desert locusts may enter China. A relevant official from the Department of Crop Production of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs stated externally on the 16th that, considering the barrier of the Kunlun Mountains and the Himalayas in China's border regions, it is very difficult for locusts to cross the high-altitude cold regions.

“Judging from the current locust plague in China's neighboring countries Pakistan and India, they are mainly weak insects that have just hatched and temporarily cannot cross the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Even if after some time they grow into adults and may fly to Tibet, Tibet has a high altitude, so they will not yet have too great an impact on China's agriculture.” said Zhang Zehua.

Zhang Zehua said that according to past migration routes, the locust swarms that began in Africa this year will still arrive in the Pakistan and India area in May and June, and after merging with locally hatched locusts will further spread to the whole of India, Bangladesh and, and at that time it will coincide with China's monsoon season, so the locusts may enter Yunnan with the monsoon.

“Previously, locust plague prevention and control focused only on China's northern gate and western gate. Now the southern gate also needs to be added.” Zhang Zehua said that the current rampage and migration route of the desert locust remind China that it is necessary to strengthen locust plague monitoring in the southwestern border areas, detect them in time, strengthen research on control methods for desert locusts, a locust species that has not yet caused disaster in China, and eliminate the locust plague in the bud, while also strengthening international cooperation.

At present, Chinese officials have already maintained high attention on the locust plague raging globally, and have proposed to closely track overseas locust plague developments and arrange professional plant protection technical personnel to strengthen locust monitoring in border areas, strictly prevent overseas desert locusts from migrating in and causing harm, and fully make preparations for locust prevention and control both inside and outside the country. In addition, according to monitoring and scheduling analysis by China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the probability of harm to China from desert locusts is very small, and the risk of a large-scale locust plague outbreak is low.

In short, desert locusts cannot be eaten, and they may possibly enter China, so our country also needs to start taking preventive and control measures in advance.