08/19/08 Grasshoppers attack North Idaho fields

More poison bait is headed to north Idaho so that farmers and ranchers can battle a grasshopper infestation. Dick Lawson of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and his crew spent all of last week in northern counties distributing more than ten tons of the grasshopper bait. LAWSON "There's an area east of Coeur d'Alene towards Cataldo a group of people there on a grassy ridge area with about 200 or 300 acres that is just totally, totally devastated by grasshoppers." More of the bait, nearly 20 thousand pounds worth, is being shipped north today.. It's a dry pellet that is not toxic to bees but fatal to grasshoppers within minutes after its ingested. Lawson says from Latah County northward to the Canadian border there have been reports this summer of grasshopper infestations and that's most unusual. LAWSON "I have to admit my boss Mike Cooper and the gentleman over at APHIS do not recall these types of outbreaks that far north. So it surprised them too." Lawson says their goal now is to help protect agricultural lands from grasshopper attacks and to kill off as many as they can before they begin laying the eggs which will produce next year's hoppers. Lawson says there are still reports in Adams County of ranchers still seeing Mormon crickets. He says the late spring warm up may have something to do with them still active this later in summer. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott