Migrating bugs are on the rise
Warmer global temperatures are likely to create conditions for an increase in pests able to carry diseases and destroy Greek crops, according to agriculture experts. Mosquitoes and leeches are seen as moving northward and appearing for greater time periods if predictions of an increase in temperatures of between 1.5 to 5.5 degrees over the next 50 to 100 years come true. Anastassios Siomos, an associate professor of Agriculture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, said yesterday that climate changes have already had a negative impact on crops such as asparagus, onions, beans and tomatoes. Another consequence of the warmer temperatures is that plants mature faster than usual but reproduce at slower rates. A recent study by the Aristotle University showed that 60 different types of insects have appeared in Greece over the last 20 years, moving from nearby areas, and threaten the country’s crops. Experts blame the larger number of bugs party on a one-degree rise in temperatures.
