Israeli authorities are in contact with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that is monitoring the locusts and Klein said the FAO calmed earlier fears that the locusts had reached Lebanon.

The locust swarms, which can range in size from one square kilometer to 100 square kilometers, are spread by the wind and in west Cyprus authorities used insecticides in an area where small movements of locusts were reported.

With up to 3000 locusts per square meter swarms have tens of millions of insects that consume vast amounts of food. Each locust can eat two grams of food a day, and experts reckon that every million locusts gobble as much food as 5000 people in one day.

"Locusts eat just about anything that grows; anything green," Klein said.
Although there are always locust populations in central Africa certain climatic conditions can allow a sudden increase, Klein explained.

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