IPB team to examine worms

IPB team to examine worms

BOGOR: A team from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture will be
sent to Pengasingan hamlet in Rawalumbu Utara, Bekasi, to
investigate the mysterious appearance of thousands of worms in
the area.

Soemartono Sosromarsono, an entomologist from the institute,
said on Friday the increase in the worm population might be the
result of a decrease in the bird population, thus removing the
main predator of the worms.

He said he assumed the worms were from the Lymantriidae
family, and thus were not dangerous. He called on residents not
to use insecticides on the worms because of the potential harm
this could do to the environment.

Residents should also remove weeds and grasses from their
yards to curb the reproduction of the worms, he said. --JP