![]() The Alberta government monitors grasshopper outbreaks and tracks populations through an annual count conducted each August. "If it's not one thing it's another this year."Īlberta farmer Robert Badry took this photograph of his wheat field after it was infested with grasshoppers (Robert Badry) "They flourish in the drought and the dry. ![]() "Once the drought hits and then you see the grasshoppers, you can't be surprised, they go hand in hand," he said. His crops are already suffering from lack of moisture, leaving them to susceptible to poor yields and pests. He expects grasshoppers will move in again when arid weather returns. On his farm, Badry is concerned about the prospect of persistent outbreaks. Recent rains may have slowed down the grasshoppers - but only temporarily, as populations have been booming for years. ![]() This year, the hot and dry weather that fuelled historic wildfires in Alberta has contributed to a scourge of grasshoppers now threatening to strip already stunted crops.Įxperts warn the infestations increase the risk of future outbreaks and serve as a reminder of the need to better monitor the pests. Even a moderate infestation - 10 grasshoppers per square metre - can consume up to 60 per cent of available vegetation. Like locusts, the insects are incredibly destructive. ![]() Grasshoppers have been long been a menace to agricultural producers. "The ground was literally moving with them," he said. Robert Badry, who operates his family's cereal farm near Heisler, 160 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, said half an acre of his wheat crop was devoured in a matter of days. Pest species of grasshoppers are taking wing early this year - and swarming in greater numbers. Driven by drought, heat-loving grasshoppers are thriving in Alberta, threatening to devour crops in central and southern parts of the province. ![]()
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