Grasshoppers take over Sask. fields as hot, dry weather intensifies
CBC
Don Fauser says he's encountered "waves" of grasshoppers on his farm near Woodrow — about 175 kilometres southwest of Regina.
"They jump on you," Fauser said. "It's miserable."
He said the insects damaged his canola and durum crops, which were about ready for harvest. They've also eaten raspberry and peony plants on his deck and are clinging to the sides of his house.
His wife, Delores, even found one grasshopper in their bathtub.
He's surprised by their appetite. The insects have eaten all of the leaves off of nearby trees, and even started eating the needles on evergreens.
"But they don't bite," he joked. "If we wait [until] January they won't be around."
The Fausers aren't the only ones contending with grasshoppers. Todd Lewis, who farms near Gray — about 35 kilometres south of Regina — noticed them early in the growing season.
"We did have a significant amount of grasshopper eggs," said Lewis. "You could actually see them in the fields and around the buildings."
Lewis is also a representative for the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan. He said farms in the south that have seen little moisture this summer —particularly in the southwest — have struggled the most, and likely will until their crop is harvested.
Lewis said he's heard from producers in that area that the insects are not just in ditches around the edges of fields, but have moved inward, devouring entire crops.
Damage can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars per hectare, said Lewis.
James Tansey, the province's entomologist, said this year has been bad for grasshoppers, particularly in southern Saskatchewan. He said last year's weather created a "perfect storm" for grasshopper growth.
"We had a nice warm spring, so that sped them through their development, so we had an early hatch" said Tansey.
"Probably most important, [Saskatchewan had] a really long, dry, protracted late summer and fall, so there was a really long period for these animals to get eggs into the ground."
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