The locust is not the punishment of God. It destroyed the steppe and learned to think

Every time a locust appears in the south of Ukraine, the country seems to wake up in biblical history. Some talk about “punishment”, others – about the climatic apocalypse. Insects become an info for panic, memes, religious interpretations. Someone even sees the message from above. And every time – as if it were never.

But it was. And more than once. We just had the language of specialists, institutions, agronomists and sanitary services. And now – we have a void that is instantly occupied by fear, fiction and journalistic hysteria.

Locust’s invasion is not news. In the Bible, it is one of ten. In ancient Russian chronicles, she is referred to as a misery that “caught the field to the root.” Cossacks were suffering from locusts, even earlier – Scythians and Sarmatians. The great steppe, which is the south and the center of Ukraine, was its natural home long before the emergence of the state. And he swarmed no worse than it is now.

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The cycle was simple and natural. Several arid years – and locust moves from a single form to a flock. Its number increases hundreds of times. She does not need anything extraordinary – only warm earth, a short season of green and the lack of natural barriers. Usually the cycle is 8-12 years. Why?

After a large flash, the territory “eats” and the population falls sharply. It takes years to recover steppe or agricultural lands.

When the locusts become too much, the number of birds, parasitic insects, fungal diseases that “knock down” the population increases. And for the next “explosion” should come together for several years of favorable weather (warm spring, dry summer, lack of mass rains).

It is not possible to prevent locusts from preventing locusts – this is a natural mechanism. But you can reduce the likelihood of switching to the PAZ and minimize harm. For this purpose it is important to create natural barriers in the form of forest strips, perennial grasses and irrigated areas, which reduce the attractiveness of territories for laying eggs and mass movement of insects. Permanent monitoring of reproduction centers – from the test of soils to the use of drones and satellite images – allows to identify the danger before the formation of swarms. Rapid response in the early stages, in particular the destruction of larvae with biological insecticides before their flight begins, allows to localize the cells. And changing the structure of agricultural landscapes – the abandonment of continuous monocultures in favor of crop rotation and preservation of natural steppe areas – creates a more stable system, less vulnerable to “explosions” of locusts.

The same, as we can see, is not an extraordinary event. This is part of the ecosystem. But how we respond to it is already an indicator.

Today, the locust is not because it is more terrible than in the XIX or XX century. It causes fear because we have lost the ability to predict, explain and counteract. The forecasting services once operated. There was a network of experts. There were data, maps, borders, protocols. There was a quiet, routine system that did not make a headline of every insect, and every summer – a tragedy. Today we have replaced her Telegram channels, and instead of agronomists we have commentators from Facebook. And most importantly – we have replaced the understanding of nature with myths about it.

The worst thing is not that the locust has arrived. It is more frightening that the powerless field prevails. People do not know what is happening. The state is silent or reacting postfactum. And between silence and panic always wins panic.

We ourselves created the conditions in which the locust has the perfect chance. We destroyed the steppes and sowed all continuous monocultures. We simplified the landscape, removed barriers, destroyed crop rotations. We have changed the climate in our own region, making it warmer, dry and similar to North African habitats, where the desert locust feels at home. We did not protect the fields – and did not protect ourselves with knowledge. It’s not a punishment. This is the result.

Once upon a time, the appearance of locusts was a reason for preventive actions. Today – for panic. And until we return the language of science, the language of prevention, the language of strategies, until every wing in the sky will appear to be a sign of the apocalypse.

We are not afraid of locusts. We are afraid of responsibility. Because locust is biology. And fear is our cultural and systemic defeat. Curse – not in insects. The curse is in the irresponsibility we have learned to hide in loud words.

Ludmila Tsiganok, CEO

A column is a material that reflects the author’s point of view. The text of the column does not claim the objectivity and comprehensive coverage of the topic that rises in it. The editorial board of “Ukrainian Truth” is not responsible for the accuracy and interpretation of the information provided and plays only the role of the carrier. The point of view of the UP editorial board may not coincide with the point of view of the author of the column.