30 Mar 2021

Having exhausted the mopane tree leaves it usually feeds on in the bush, the mophane worms has now moved to homesteads. 

At Patayamatebele in the North East district, the mopane worm has been spotted feeding on ornamental trees in homesteads.

The mophane woodlands around Patayamatebele and Ditladi villages have been depleted due to the abundance of the worm.

The worm has now invaded homes, government offices and is found everywhere, including on roads looking for food.

“I can’t believe this. This mopane worm is everywhere, in the houses, parked cars and trees,”said Kgosi Lawrence Ndebele of Tshwaragano ward in Patayamatebele whose homestead has been invaded by the worms.

The worms have started eating his ornamental trees such as the guava tree.

“When you wake up in the morning, you will find many of them on the linen,” he added.

He explained the nutritious worm had moved into government offices, the hardest hit area being the local kgotla offices; where it was being swept like trash.

Kgosi Ndebele said the worms produced a greenish fluid, which stained clothes and was difficult to clean.

He advised residents to always close their windows when they go to sleep. 

He stated that most people were not interested in harvesting it because it was small in size. He however suggested that the residents could harvest the worm to feed cattle and sell it to the lucrative market in South Africa. 

“Research indicates that mophane worms can be more profitable than cattle farming,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ms Lucia Mokotedi said mopane worms ha eaten all the leaves of her mango tree.

Ms Mokotedi suspected that the worm was not harvested enough due to COVID-19 movement restrictions and thus hibernating and multiplying in large numbers.

A Ditladi resident, Ms Banyatsi John also shared the same sentiment, adding that in Ditladi the worm now feeded on indigenous trees such as Morula trees.

“This is the first time we see this happening in our village. Look at the mopane woodland. It looks like it is dry but it is this worm which ate all the leaves,” she added.

Ms John said children were also scared of the worm and were refusing to go with their parents at the fields because mophane worms were moving all over.ends