Abstract
THE most commonly effective method of destroying locusts at present is to poison the hoppers (nymphs) before they can fly. Some kind of bait, such as moistened bran, which is eaten in preference to other food, is poisoned with benzene hexachloride (hexachlorocyclohexane, ‘Gammexane', ‘Benhex') and is scattered thinly in front of the advancing bands. For an infestation of any magnitude, this requires a large labour force. In some parts of the world, even in Africa, there is a severe shortage of labour, so that it is increasingly difficult to get adequate supplies of casual seasonal workers. When a widespread plague occurs, it is sometimes necessary to call upon the army to do much of the work. In addition, the work must often be done in areas which are so far from sources of supply of food and even water that the cost of transport becomes considerable. It is therefore not surprising that attention has been given to the use of machinery to replace much of the unskilled labour.
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GUNN, D. Aircraft Attack on Locusts. Nature 161, 342–344 (1948). https://doi.org/10.1038/161342a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/161342a0