Insecticide Use against Desert Locust in the Horn of Africa 2019–2021 Reveals a Pressing Need for Change

The desert locust upsurge in the Horn of Africa over 2019–2021 led to a total 1.6 million ha being treated with broad-spectrum organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides Ethiopia Kenya, while insect growth regulators entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum were applied Somalia. Environmental monitoring was largely absent, limited surveys conducted Kenya Ethiopia. Overdosing fenitrothion 960 g/L formulation non-target mortality, including birds honeybees. In Ethiopia, chlorpyrifos malathion applications coincided honey production decline 78% 2020 compared pre-upsurge levels. use M. on nearly 253,000 breakaway from previous campaigns, which its successful application Somalia against both hopper bands swarms shows that persistent pervasive can no longer be justified. Furthermore, future procurement possibly could become increasingly problematic due measures enacted by European Union. It is recommended complementary impact bird predation locusts should considered an integrated management approach for swarm control.