Locust Watch

Briefs

Latest updates of the locust situation

03/04/2024
  • Overview: The five Desert Locust outbreaks decreased along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden coast in Egypt, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Sudan.
  • Current situation: Second generation of hopper groups, bands, and immature adult groups declined.
  • Control: Operations decreased by 50% in March compared to January.
  • April–May: One generation of spring breeding will occur in Saudi Arabia and parts of northern Sudan and southern Egypt; May and June might see a rise in cyclone activity along the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea; consequently, countries must maintain survey and control efforts.
18/03/2024
  • Latest models suggest widespread above-normal rainfall during the spring in the interior of Saudi Arabia, Yemen Gulf of Aden and interior, coast and interior of Oman, southeast Iran and southwest Pakistan, and perhaps northern Sudan Nile Valley; abnormal rains on the northern Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia.
  • Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea may experience heightened cyclone activity in May and June.
  • Summer from Sudan to Pakistan/India expect above-average rainfall and favourable breeding conditions.
  • Western Africa experiences rain starting in July in Chad, followed by Niger, Mali and Mauritania in August and September.
02/03/2024
  • Overview: There a five Desert Locust outbreaks along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden coast: Egypt, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Sudan.
  • Current situation: Second generation of hopper groups, bands, and immature adult groups.
  • Control: Operations decreased in February compared to January.
  • March–April: Locusts will decrease because of control operations, diminished rainfall, and drying vegetation and limited small-scale breeding could occur in the spring; consequently, countries must maintain survey and control efforts.
05/02/2024
  • There a five Desert Locust outbreaks along the coast of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden: Egypt, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Sudan.
  • Current situation: Groups and swarms of the first winter breeding generation as well as the second generation of new hatching and hopper groups and bands.
  • Control: Operations increased in January compared to December.
  • February–March: Locusts are likely to decrease because of control operations, diminished rainfall, and drying vegetation in March, but countries must maintain survey and control efforts.
22/01/2024
  • The four Desert Locust outbreaks that began in November continue to persist in Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Sudan.
  • The second generation of the winter breeding started this past week on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden coasts in southeast Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, northwest Somalia, and probably Yemen.
  • Control operations continue during the first generation where there are mainly immature and mature adults, groups, and small swarms as well as some late instar hoppers, groups, and bands.
  • The second generation will continue during February and March when more rain is likely in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden coasts and the interior of the Horn of Africa.
05/01/2024
  • Current situation: Outbreaks persist with breeding, groups and bands in Egypt, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan; a few locusts in Mauritania, Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Niger.
  • Control: Increased fivefold in Egypt, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia (only biopesticides), Sudan (some air); a few in Mauritania.
  • January–March: second generation with breeding, hatching, groups and bands along parts of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden coasts.
05/12/2023
  • Current situation: Outbreaks developed, groups, bands, and breeding: Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan.
  • Current situation: The first generation of winter season (Nov–Jan) on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden coasts.
  • Control: operations in Eritrea, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan.
  • November–February: above-normal rains and perhaps a second generation of breeding (Feb–Apr) on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden coasts.
13/11/2023
OVERVIEW: the winter season has started on the Red Sea coast and the Gulf of Aden where good rains have fallen in parts of southeast Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and northwest Somalia. Above-normal rains are predicted during November and December. The first genera on of hoppers and adults will occur now with a second genera on star ng at the beginning of January 2024 and continuing un l about March or April. For preventive control, operations are mainly in Sudan and Saudi Arabia, some biopesticides in Somalia, and eventually some in parts of Yemen, Egypt, and Eritrea.


02/11/2023
  • Current situation (breeding): Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen.
  • Current situation: The summer season has nearly finished in the northern Sahel from Mauritania to Sudan; the winter season is starting on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden coasts.
  • Control: operations in Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen.
  • November–February: above normal rains in winter breeding areas for small-scale breeding in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden coasts (Egypt, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen).
23/10/2023
OVERVIEW: A tropical depression formed in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean on 17 October, where it moved west
and then northwest towards the southern coast of Yemen and Oman. On 23 October, rains began to fall just after
midnight on the coast from Al Ghaydah in eastern Yemen to Salalah in southern Oman. The cyclone is expected to
make landfall on the coast south of Al Ghaydah near Haswayn in the afternoon. After that, it will weaken as it moves
northwest in the interior south of Thamud on the 24th and eventually disperse.
PRECIPITATION: Rains will be heavy in the coastal areas near Al Ghaydah on Monday and Tuesday. Light rain is
expected on Tuesday and Wednesday in the interior of the plateau near Remah and the Empty Quarter close to Umm
Al Melh and Al Kharkhir in Saudi Arabia.
LOCUSTS: Some locusts in Yemen and Oman might reach the eastern plateau of Yemen and the Empty Quarter of
Saudi Arabia where they could eventually breed in November and December.


See also