Swarm Of Locusts DEVOUR Everything In Their Path | Planet Earth | BBC Earth

There is no other species on the planet that responds as quickly and as dramatically to the good times as the desert locust. Eggs that have remained in the ground for 20 years begin to hatch. The young locusts are known as hoppers, for at this stage they're flightless. They find new feeding grounds by following the smell of sprouting grass. Normally it takes four weeks for hoppers to become adults, but when the conditions are right, as now, their development switches to the fast track. As the vegetation in one place begins to run out, the winged adults release pheromones, scent messages, which tell others in the group that they must move on. And when groups merge, they form a swarm. An adult locust eats its entire body weight every day and a whole swarm can consume literally hundreds of tons of vegetation. They have to keep on moving. The swarm travels with the wind. It's the most energy-saving way of flying. Following the flow of wind means that they're always heading toward areas of low pressure, places where wind meets rain and vegetation starts to grow. As they fly, swarms join up with other swarms to form gigantic plagues several billion strong and as much as 40 miles wide. They will consume every edible thing that lies in their path. This is one of planet Earth's greatest spectacles. It's rarely seen on this scale and it won't last long. Once the food has gone, the steady roar of a billion beating locust wings will once again be replaced by nothing more than the sound of the desert wind.

Channel: BBC Earth

Views: 8,305,404

Rating: 4.6115437 out of 5

Keywords: Locusts, Desert Locusts, locust swarm, locusts swarm, swarm of locusts, locust plague, planet earth locusts, locust insect, locust attack, bbc, Plague, Swarms, Planet Earth, planet earth II, david attenborough, bbc planet earth, Hoppers, bbc earth

Id: 6bx5JUGVahk

Length: 3min 45sec (225 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 10 2017