VIENTIANE, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Northern Lao province of Huaphan has been affected by yellow-spined bamboo locusts and local authorities are working hard to stop further destruction of vegetation.
"We have found locusts in 143 sites that are spread across 63 villages and nine districts. Each site of infestation is several hectares in size," local daily Vientiane Times on Thursday quoted Deputy Director of Huaphan's Agriculture and Forestry Department, Sorsavanh Bankhammy as saying.
"The locusts began appearing at the end of March and we have been spraying them with insecticide to stop them spreading," said the official in Huaphan Province, some 310 km northeast of Lao capital Vientiane.
Authorities and villagers are continuing to spray infested areas with insecticides that kill the locusts and prevent eggs from hatching. The yellow-spined bamboo locust thrives in areas planted with bamboo and tall trees.
Last year in Huaphan, locusts and eggs were found at 216 sites in 107 villages in eight districts and 1,454 hectares of crops suffered damage. During the same period, locust is believed to have damaged more than 5,000 hectares of crops in northern provinces of Laos, such as Luang Prabang, Phongsaly, Xieng Khuang and Oudomxay provinces nearby Huaphan, said the report.
