The hungry locusts 

AS THE Garden of Eden is the earth before them and after them a desolate wilderness; there is no escape ”. This is what the ancient Hebrew prophet Joel wrote when he described the effects of a locust invasion.

A large swarm of desert hopping can turn acres and acres of grain into a painful spectacle that leads to famine. A single lobster eats the equivalent of its own weight each day. When you consider that a large swarm may consist of billions of locusts, the amount of vegetation is enormous. About 40 billion locusts in a swarm of about 1,036 square kilometers can devour about 80,000 tonnes of food per day.

In 1958, a swarm of this size appeared in Somalia, the easternmost country in Africa. However, this massive swarm is not the largest it has ever been. In 1889, a swarm in the Red Sea region covered about 5,280 square kilometers.

The following biblical description of a locust invasion is no exaggeration: “As with the sound of the cart, they jump over the tops of the mountains; like the crackling of a burning fire which engulfs the tree trunks; like a brave people prepared for battle. People are tormented in front of them, all faces turn pale. They attack the city, run along the wall, climb the houses; They enter through the windows like thieves. The earth trembles before them, the sky trembles; The sun and the moon darken and the stars keep their splendor. "

The sound of an approaching locust swarm can be heard at a distance of about 10 kilometers. As a well-organized force, the John Army advances on the path to a destroyed state and reduces all vegetation. In addition, linen, wool, silk and leather do not avoid the jaws of lobsters. If you break into homes, you don't skimp on painting the furniture.

In desperation, farmers can throw stones and cans and beat lobsters with sticks and chopsticks. But in the end, everything is for nothing. There are a lot of lobsters. The attack continues. Their number is so great that they appear like a cloud or blizzard obscuring the sky.

Fortunately, the cracks in the desert do not invade with all their might every year and cause terrible destruction. Because it is so?

The climatic conditions are the main culprit. During drought years, when vegetation is limited in desert areas, locusts do not hatch in large numbers and therefore do not accumulate. They look like green grasshoppers. But when the rain is repeated in the deserts, locusts hatch in large numbers and become sociable. The color changes from green to yellow, black and red.

The change in behavior and color is the result of the lobster touch. This has been confirmed by scientific experiments. Housed in a glass whose contact effect is simulated by small threads, the leap into the desert gradually changes color.

Modern methods of locust control, especially aerial spraying, have limited grasshopper infestation. But they don't prevent lobsters from spawning in large numbers. The only thing that can really prevent a locust attack is a natural disaster: drought.

One hundred years ago, God demonstrated his power to control locusts. He brought a great plague of these insects on the Egyptians, who were imprisoned by the Israelites, and then stopped the plague by throwing the whole swarm into the sea.

In its own way, the hungry grasshopper can help us appreciate the smallness of man and the greatness of God.The hungry locusts 

AS THE Garden of Eden is the earth before them and after them a desolate wilderness; there is no escape ”. This is what the ancient Hebrew prophet Joel wrote when he described the effects of a locust invasion.

A large swarm of desert hopping can turn acres and acres of grain into a painful spectacle that leads to famine. A single lobster eats the equivalent of its own weight each day. When you consider that a large swarm may consist of billions of locusts, the amount of vegetation is enormous. About 40 billion locusts in a swarm of about 1,036 square kilometers can devour about 80,000 tonnes of food per day.

In 1958, a swarm of this size appeared in Somalia, the easternmost country in Africa. However, this massive swarm is not the largest it has ever been. In 1889, a swarm in the Red Sea region covered about 5,280 square kilometers.

The following biblical description of a locust invasion is no exaggeration: “As with the sound of the cart, they jump over the tops of the mountains; like the crackling of a burning fire which engulfs the tree trunks; like a brave people prepared for battle. People are tormented in front of them, all faces turn pale. They attack the city, run along the wall, climb the houses; They enter through the windows like thieves. The earth trembles before them, the sky trembles; The sun and the moon darken and the stars keep their splendor. "

The sound of an approaching locust swarm can be heard at a distance of about 10 kilometers. As a well-organized force, the John Army advances on the path to a destroyed state and reduces all vegetation. In addition, linen, wool, silk and leather do not avoid the jaws of lobsters. If you break into homes, you don't skimp on painting the furniture.

In desperation, farmers can throw stones and cans and beat lobsters with sticks and chopsticks. But in the end, everything is for nothing. There are a lot of lobsters. The attack continues. Their number is so great that they appear like a cloud or blizzard obscuring the sky.

Fortunately, the cracks in the desert do not invade with all their might every year and cause terrible destruction. Because it is so?

The climatic conditions are the main culprit. During drought years, when vegetation is limited in desert areas, locusts do not hatch in large numbers and therefore do not accumulate. They look like green grasshoppers. But when the rain is repeated in the deserts, locusts hatch in large numbers and become sociable. The color changes from green to yellow, black and red.

The change in behavior and color is the result of the lobster touch. This has been confirmed by scientific experiments. Housed in a glass whose contact effect is simulated by small threads, the leap into the desert gradually changes color.

Modern methods of locust control, especially aerial spraying, have limited grasshopper infestation. But they don't prevent lobsters from spawning in large numbers. The only thing that can really prevent a locust attack is a natural disaster: drought.

One hundred years ago, God demonstrated his power to control locusts. He brought a great plague of these insects on the Egyptians, who were imprisoned by the Israelites, and then stopped the plague by throwing the whole swarm into the sea.

In its own way, the hungry grasshopper can help us appreciate the smallness of man and the greatness of God.