Hungry Caterpillars Invade Liberia

Swarms of voracious moth caterpillars have devoured crops in northern Liberia, sending thousands of villagers fleeing from their homes and forcing the West African state to declare a state of emergency. The plague is being described as the country’s worst in 30 years. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations warned that unless quickly contained, the invasion is very likely to escalate into a regional crisis involving neighboring Guinea, Sierra Leone and Cöte d'Ivoire. FAO also said that the situation is made worse by the fact that many wells and waterways in the area are unfit for human consumption because of the huge volume of feces dropped by the caterpillars.

The caterpillars suspected to be African armyworms (Spodoptera spp) have affected some 46 villages in Bong, Lofa and Gbarpolu counties of northern Liberia, including two-thirds of the 200,000 inhabitants in Bong County which was the worst-hit area. Combating the caterpillars may prove to be difficult. FAO warned against the use of aerial spraying since it is likely to further contaminate the already precarious water supply in the area. Areas that have been hand-sprayed with pesticides, on the other hand, have quickly been re-infested since the caterpillars dwell on the leaves of giant forest trees that can rise more than eight meters above ground.

Read FAO’s press release at http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/9832/icode/