Ask an Expert – Take Action: Tips to Reduce the Locust Population | News, Sports, Jobs

You probably haven’t forgotten how many locusts we had in Utah last year, especially in urban and residential areas. Unfortunately, similar numbers are expected this year. Several climate-related factors are affecting the numbers we will see.

Grasshoppers spend the winter as eggs in the soil, unaffected by cold air temperatures. The snow cover insulates them, keeps the soil evenly moist and cool, and creates ideal conditions for the eggs to survive. Then spring comes, and if it is warm and not too wet, it allows the eggs to hatch successfully and the nymphs to grow.

Most grasshopper species in Utah produce one generation per year. After eggs hatch, grasshopper nymphs go through five instars before becoming winged adults. Because there are several species and they develop at different times, there will likely be a mix of nymphs and adults throughout the summer.

Locusts feed on crops, pasture plants, weeds, fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants. Their chewing mandibles cause devastating damage as they eat leaves, flowers, fruits, seed heads and stems – essentially all above-ground plant parts. When populations are high enough, their feeding can cause economic setbacks, and in recent years farmers have reported severe economic losses due to locust damage.

Follow these tips to reduce the growing locust population.

* Watch now for nymphs feeding in overgrown areas along fences and roadsides. As this vegetation dries out, they migrate to farms and home gardens. The nymphal stage is the best time for control as they are less mobile and more susceptible to treatments.

* Control locusts with insecticides in the form of concentrated sprays, dusts or baits. Unfortunately, popular organic bait products containing the Microsporidium fungus Nosema locustae (e.g. NoLo Bait and Semaspore) are in short supply or unavailable in many locations. Other bait products containing active ingredients such as zeta-cypermethrin + bifenthrin, malathion, permethrin and carbaryl are approved for use against locusts in home gardens. Check with your local garden center for products currently available and make sure the target plant and locusts are listed on the label.

* Keep grasshoppers out of small gardens by using row covers with insect netting or a lightweight spunbond material. They can also be removed by hand (early in the cool of the morning) and placed in soapy water. Natural predators such as birds, reptiles, mammals and other arthropods feed on grasshoppers, but unfortunately this is usually not enough to reduce damaging numbers. You will probably have to control the pesky insects yourself.

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