Coll 28/8 ‘Persia; Diaries; Sistan & Kain, April 1927 – 1933’ [‎107r] (224/434)

Note on Locusts in the Sistan Consular Area — May, 1930.
Swarms of locusts began to arrive in the
Duzdap area early in the month. The
temperature at the time was between 65
and 70 degrees. Wind very changeable,
but more frequently S. S. W. and
N. E. Damage was done to lucerne crops
and vegetables. The locusts flew north.
Towards the end of May hoppers appeared
in considerable numbers. Specimens of
tae wdnged locusts, yellow and pink are
being fonvarded.
Nothing appears to have been done
locally to deal with the pest. Mirza
Mohamed Khan Fatheh who had previously
been in Duzdap in connection with the
locust menace, returned to Meshed
being apparently unable to deal with the
situation.
Early in the month large swarms appear
ed from Duzdap direction along the hills
from Nehbandan up to Safedawa and by
16th and 17th May had reached Shusp,
Sarbaisheh and Mudh. They did not
remain long but flew north. About 20th
dense swarms passed up the Birjand
plains still travelling north. They were
of the red variety. Little damage was
done as they settled at night mainly in the
hills and fed on natural vegetation.
Locusts also spread in less dense swarms
'inthe areas Nehbandan-Sarchah-Mohamad-
abad-Dostabad and towards Kain and
Dosht-i-Baiz ; also towards Zarkoh east
of Birjand to the Afghan border. Both
yellow and red varieties.
In the Jolgah-i-Mosina area up to
Ahwaz on the Afghan border the swarms
were very dence and eggs were laid over a
large area. Eggs were also laid exten
sively in the Neh and Sarbaisheh dis
tricts.
The local commission has done all that
is practicable by destroying eggs, trench
ing for hoppers and poisoning by means of
Paris-green mixed with barley flour.
Adults have been burnt with Kerosine
at dawm.
In the Nehbandan area and Sarbaisheh
3DO Birjand maunds of winged locusts
are said to have been destroyed and large
quantities of eggs.
Owing to the existence of considerable
amount of natural vegetation, following
extensive rains, and to the fact that crops
were well advanced, not much damage
has resulted. At the end of the month
hoppers were hatching in the hills
around Birjand and were being destroyed
by trenching.
No damage is reported from Sistan
which area has so far practically escaped.
It is probable that extensive damage
will occur to crops further north in
Khorassan and Turbat-i-Haidari areas,
towards which the dense swarms which
passed over Birjand and Kain appeared
to be making, and where crops are less
advanced than in the South.
MC254FD—13—4-7-30—GIPS