Schools in Anh Son district in Nghe An province have had to close temporarily, because their flamboyant and tropical almond trees have been attacked by worms.

At the end of class, students collected worms to burn, but the next day, they reappeared.

Chief of Anh Son District Department of Agriculture Pham Dinh Duc on September 9 reported that a species of worm of around 3cm long has appeared in the district for several days. They have eaten all the leaves of almond trees in schools and offices.

Teacher Nguyen Khac Hiep from Anh Son 3 Secondary School confirmed that all classrooms are being attacked by the worms. They overflow classrooms, jump on the bodies of teachers and students, hang on the walls, the blackboards, tables and chairs, etc. At the end of class, students collected worms to burn, but the next day, they reappeared.

Some schools temporarily closed to spray chemicals to kill the worms.

Tran Van Luu, chief of Anh Son district’s Plant Protection Bureau, revealed employees were sent to infested places to destroy the worms.

This species eats not only tropical almond trees, but also some fruit and forest trees. In the past, a species of giant worms attacked trees and crops and flocked to houses in Anh Son district.

In the central province of Thanh Hoa, this species of worm has also attacked a primary school in Thach Thanh district for several days.

Worms ate all the leaves.

PV