### q5 huge locust plagues can last years > Locusts are [herbivores](https://www.livescience.com/53452-herbivores.html), although there are reports of locust cannibalism when other food is scarce, Song said. A locust can eat its own weight in plant matter each day, which is only about 0.07 ounces (2 grams). But the largest locust swarms, called plagues, can number in the billions and together, a plague of locusts can consume so much plant material that they erase several months of growth before moving on, resulting in long-term effects on the health and finances of entire regions. > > For example, a plague of desert locusts that originated in Western Africa in 2003 and lasted until 2005 affected 22 countries and reportedly wiped out over 80% of crops, according to a report from the [Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations](http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/common/ecg/1913/en/DesertLocustEvalReportE.pdf). By the time the plague finally declined in early 2005, the total cost of damage control efforts had reached half a billion dollars. > > Locust plagues may last for years once they are in full swing, with multiple generations of swarming locusts. But the worst plagues are generally infrequent, and some species go decades between major population explosions. However, experts say this is an additional challenge for disaster preparedness because the threat of a locust swarm can seem less critical if it hasn't been an issue for many years. - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fn7bfkp0qbc0zttj8yg2xf47) - [[What Are Locusts and Why Do They Swarm by Greg Uyeno#q5 huge locust plagues can last years|View in Vault]]