Grasshopper swarms coming to the West?

April 1, 2010 · Posted by in Environment 

Western farmers are preparing for an all out battle as federal officials have predicted that over the coming weeks,  grasshoppers will likely hatch in bigger numbers than any year since 1985.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the creepy crawlers could potentially cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.  The grasshoppers generally go for corn, barley, alfalfa, and beets, but when the food runs out they won’t hesistate to devour fence posts and eat through paint.

Their populations may likely exceed 60 grasshoppers per square yard–way up from the normal eight per square yard–and lead to dense swarms that cover fields and country roads.

And here’s your daily dose of gross — this is a video taken from inside a van driving through a grasshopper swarm:

YouTube Preview Image

–Lindsay Gulisano

Tip Jar

Like what we're doing? Got a spare sawbuck? Help us pay for site maintenance and reporting and we'll think happy thoughts about you sometimes. $100 gets you a personal, paperless thank-you video from Dave and Laura! $500 gets you... five personal, paperless thank-you videos from Dave and Laura and a tote bag!

Comments are closed.