JERUSALEM, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Israel is preparing for the locust swarms into its territory, as reported on Tuesday by the state's Ministry of Agriculture.
Following the unusual rains that recently hit eastern Yemen and the Eritrean-Sudan border area, a wave of locusts began to move towards Saudi Arabia, and from there it might reach Israel.
The crop protection service teams in the ministry began preparations for the probable locust's attack.
The teams are in continuous contact with the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to obtain information of the locust movement in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. A report published by the United Nations indicates that the swarms have moved toward Israel.
At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture's staff is preparing to begin testing the stocks of friendly pesticides, which do not pose a danger to humans.
Swarms of locusts do not endanger the health of humans and animals but are harmful to agriculture and cause a nuisance in the air.
The last time locust swarms invaded Israel was in 2013, when early preparations prevented major damage to local agriculture.
The desert locust is spread over 30 million sq km in 60 countries. It feeds on a wide variety of plants, as well as leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds and bark.
