Locusts in Merida?

Don't worry. They will blend in with all the other spring break crowd.

Here is a link to an article in spanish. locusts near Merida
this article originally caught my attention when reading the El Universal newspaper articles for my spanish practice, I saw the word langosta and for a moment had visions of a plague of lobsters attacking the poor farmers crops. Then I looked up the word and saw that it is also used for locusts. (this article also caught my eye because I spent quite a bit of time in the same traditional village, Calkini, several years ago, about 150 km south (mas o menos)of Merida.
In any case, the only ones seriously affected by this are the poor farmers whose crops they are eating.

heres some news posted on the websire Merider insider on January 8. I was there feb 6-12th and did not see or hear of this issue. I think unless you are a corn stalk or some other type of vegetation the locusts are unlikly to bother you.

Locust Plague Casts Shadow On Mexican State Of Yucatan
Posted by mexicobob on Monday, January 08 @ 09:12:15 CST
Contributed by mexicobob

This is a little on the "hyped" side, but may be another good reason to NOT move to Yucatan. We have to stay balanced after all.

A locust plague is casting a shadow on the south-eastern Mexican state of Yucatan by threatening around 5,000 hectares of crops and much of the region's vegetation. The Yucatan Social Development Ministry said Thursday the "cloud," which is made up of hundreds of thousands of locusts - some up to 10 centimetres long - is several kilometres wide and is currently over the eastern part of the state. The insects face optimum conditions for reproduction in forest areas in that part of the state, where difficult access makes it is virtually impossible to combat the plague. Local media reported that the cloud has already reached the state capital, Merida. Last year, a plague of the same locust species, scientifically known as Schistorcerca Piceifrons Piceifrons, destroyed over 400 hectares of corn and vegetables. The locusts are currently threatening to move to the states of Campeche and Tabasco, on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico north of Yucatan, authorities said.sit

This isn't the first time this year the locusts have come to the peninsula. They were inundated in Cancun for a while, and didn't create any problems other than being creepy.

As #2 said, this is more upsetting for the farmers whose livelihoods are at risk than tourists in the area for a few days.

Thanks to everyone who replied with helpful information. My mother will be relieved to know that we won't be carried off by man-eating locusts...

Not only are there locusts, but there are lightning bolts, snails, floodings, boils, hurricanes and twisters, but the worst is that the first born will all die on March 1st unless lambs´ blood is smeared on the front doors.

This is probably something of a windfall foodwise. People in southern Mexico tend to eat critters like these.

Given that locusts have been eaten for most of human history and that they have 10 centimeter ones flying around...it might be wise to check out that order of highly sauced shrimp.

Wouldn't it be funny if you ordered "langostas" in a Mérida restaurant, and they brought you a plate of roasted chapulines!