Canary Islands Locusts: 'Stay Calm' Amidst Swarms

Holiday hotspots in the Canary Islands, including Lanzarote, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Fuerteventura, are currently experiencing swarms of locusts. Officials have issued a 'stay calm' message, reassuring the public that the insects pose no direct danger. However, there is a significant concern that these locusts could threaten vital crops if their numbers increase substantially, recalling a severe plague experienced 20 years prior.

The locusts, identified as Barbary cigarrón (Schistocerca gregaria), are believed to have arrived from Western Sahara, facilitated by recent warm and wet weather conditions. Videos circulating on social media depict hundreds of these insects swirling across the countryside. Historically, these locusts have arrived from the African continent via easterly or south-easterly winds, often carrying Saharan dust.

Lanzarote's government has activated its environmental services, which will remain vigilant for the next 48 hours. Leaders are optimistic that the current swarms will not develop into a full-blown plague. The next two days are considered crucial to determine if the adult locusts will die off or if reproduction will occur. This situation echoes past events, including significant locust episodes in 1958 and 1954 that devastated crops across the islands, particularly in Tenerife.