The Use of Transport and Poison Bait in a Locust Campaign

Abstract

It is not uncommon for the officers who may be called upon at short notice to conduct a campaign against locust hoppers to have to set up their organization without previous experience, with very scrappy literature on the subject to which to refer, and to have no technical adviser with field experience within reach. Such, at least, was the experience of the officers detailed to conduct a campaign in the Mkomazi Gap between the Western Usambara and the South Pare Mountains of Tanganyika in May, 1944, where the hoppers were already hatched before it was possible to organize the assembly of equipment. The following notes, compiled as a result of this campaign, may be of wider interest to anyone who has to organize from scratch a campaign against locust hoppers although campaigns in East Africa have been many in the last few years and each one has produced its own problems whether of labour, transport or the supply of water, bait or zinc banding. Although the Mkomazi campaign was undertaken at the height of the rainy season, which in many areas would have precluded the use of poison bait, the Mkomazi Gap is so dry that, while a deluge might be pouring in the adjacent mountains or on the coast, a gentle drizzle or mist at Mkomazi would keep the bait fresh throughout the day. In fact days were experienced which were so hot and dry that baiting was only possible in the early mornings and late evenings.