video source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ5DFlcYhmI
Upon watching the video clip the newscaster mentioned that palay, tubo and mais (rice, sugar cane and corn) were the crops infested by the said caterpillars. Do you know that all of these crops are related to the grass family?
The following questions were lingering in my mind: Why is this happening in Batangas, Cavite and Bataan? What town or province could the next caterpillar infestation be? Will other insects such as locusts or beetle follow in plaguing farmlands too? Did farmers in Batangas, Cavite and Bataan follow monoculture type of planting or did they practice intercropping of various vegetables? Do you think that chemical pesticides really help in the situation or does it aggravate or cause another problem? Is global warming or climate change the main reason why such massive infestation occurs?
I am not an expert to answer these questions, nonetheless I will still share my take on it........ Could it be that forests and native trees are non-existent in those areas that is why the insects are now looking for other sources of food? Could it be that using chemical insecticides and pesticides will only make the insects more resistant and difficult to control? Will finding out what these insects are feeding in their native habitat and planting these trees or plants in sanctuaries a better alternative than elliminating them? Is the sudden population boom of insects a last attempt for them to avoid extinction? Usually, predatory birds, bats and other insects control the population of pests such as these, but where are they? Are we not making the lands acidic by using these chemical insecticides instead of using organic pesticides? By using these chemical insecticides, are we not erradicating the beneficial insects such as spiders and praying mantis that eat other pests or butterflies and bees that help pollinate our plants, trees and vegetables? Do you think that experts have made the right action in resolving this problem or are they creating a domino effect to other future problems? Are our farmers really following correct and healthy farming practices because issues such as this might just blow up in front of our faces?............I'll just let you guess what my last question should be in terms of what the real problem is.
I am not an expert to answer these questions, nonetheless I will still share my take on it........ Could it be that forests and native trees are non-existent in those areas that is why the insects are now looking for other sources of food? Could it be that using chemical insecticides and pesticides will only make the insects more resistant and difficult to control? Will finding out what these insects are feeding in their native habitat and planting these trees or plants in sanctuaries a better alternative than elliminating them? Is the sudden population boom of insects a last attempt for them to avoid extinction? Usually, predatory birds, bats and other insects control the population of pests such as these, but where are they? Are we not making the lands acidic by using these chemical insecticides instead of using organic pesticides? By using these chemical insecticides, are we not erradicating the beneficial insects such as spiders and praying mantis that eat other pests or butterflies and bees that help pollinate our plants, trees and vegetables? Do you think that experts have made the right action in resolving this problem or are they creating a domino effect to other future problems? Are our farmers really following correct and healthy farming practices because issues such as this might just blow up in front of our faces?............I'll just let you guess what my last question should be in terms of what the real problem is.
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