Northern Chinese forestry authorities released over half a billion bees in order to suppress a destructive plague of American moths, according to Xinhua:
Forestry authorities in north China’s city of Baoding released 600 million bees this month to kill off American white moths, which have plagued large areas of crops and forests ….
The bees use their stingers to bore into white moths’ pupa and kill their larvae. The bees have been previously used to eliminate moth infestations in the provinces of Hebei and Shandong.
Known as the “forest locust,” the moths can destroy more than 300 plants and consume the leaves of two hectares’ worth of poplar trees within two days.
According to the State Forestry Administration, the pest has threatened plants and crops in Beijing, Tianjin, Shaanxi, Hebei and Shandong since it was first detected in Liaoning Province in 1979.
Parasites have also been used in the past as a natural means of controlling the moths. More recently, a Shenzhen property developer was accused of using scorpions to clear out a stubborn infestation of tenants.
