Grasshopper Infestation

 Grasshoppers hop on more than grass. The conditions this winter have us looking at trouble come May and June. I’m David Sparks and I’ll be right back. A federal survey of adult grasshoppers last fall indicated that parts of Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska and Idaho could face costly grasshopper infestations this summer. Wally Butler, Range Specialist for the Idaho Farm Bureau explains the conditions that make us particularly vulnerable in Idaho. “This year the likliehood is fairly high because we’ve had such a mild winter and the severity of the winter always affects various insect infestations whether it’s grasshoppers, mosquitoes or other creatures.”  These bugs aren’t friendly little creatures like Jiminy Cricket either. They attack and attack hard. “Heavy infestation of grasshoppers can definitely influence the amount of forage and they take the most tender and palatable shoots as well so they can have a heavy toll on rangeland and the availability of forage.”  So be prepared.