This video of a locust invasion in Madagascar will give you nightmares

[mfcorey1]

The images were captured in Madagascar's capital Antananarivo on Thursday, where billions of locusts descended upon the city as part of an outbreak the size of Japan, Agence France Presse reported.

Locust swarms are common in Madagascar but have grown uncontrollable in recent years -- often with terrible consequences. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated the ongoing locust plague in the African nation, which began April 2012, threatens the livelihoods of 13 million people, with 9 million of them earning a living on agriculture.

"Locust infestations, if untreated, could wipe out food crops and livestock grazing lands – and with it a family’s ability to provide for itself," according to FAO. The country and FAO launched a three-year emergency program in 2013 to beat back the locust population and protect the agriculture industry from swarms.

The head of the FAO's locust campaign in the country said Thursday's swarm is highly unusual for the city, a result of exceptionally high temperatures and winds blowing toward the capital, Voice of America reported.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/08/29/this-video-of-a-locust-invasion-in-madagascar-will-give-you-nightmares/?Post+generic=%3Ftid%3Dsm_twitter_washingtonpost

[jwirr]

1. I was expecting to see them strip the trees immediately.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. lol.from the article:

A 13-year-old boy talked to AFP as he was "enthusiastically scooping handfuls of insects into a plastic bag," telling the news organization that he was collecting them to feed the chickens.  "If the chickens don't die, we'll eat them," Anthoni Razafimahatratra told AFP.

[msongs]

3. all that free edible food flying around waiting to be caught nt

[L0oniX]

4. Locust's or Monsanto drones?