Grasshopper Infestation Taking over entire Farms in Alberta

I suppose you get that a lot in Israel with the arid conditions

Grass Hopper have been infesting Farms in Europe and Asia as well as the always traditional African continent that has been plagued every decade with a major infestation.

However they are becoming more current and more frequents as well as more wide spread.

The climate is changing no matter how hard one wants to deny this and the famines are around the corner on a global level as well. 

Monsanto and GMO make this chain of events even worth and may be the final push to tip the balance.

Since we failed to plan for this and refused to see it coming, we will have to pay the price as well. Soon enough.

Famines mean wars, revolutions and terror.

Thanks for your comments and recommendation Paschen.

That's the last thing farmers need!

No they.re having enough troubles without that this year.

wonder what comes next!!!!!

Well, let's hope it isn't invasions by frogs, blood in the water and the death of the first born.

I saw the tag "Alberta" and guessed pretty easy who wrote THAT story! I guess locust and grasshopper plagues are becoming more prevalent due to global warming. But increased turnover of natural wildlands to farming production further feeding these pests would be another cause. Is more insecticide the answer? All the proposed solutions look bad. I see arguments already raging on notice boards, one side bemoaning the over-population problem ravaging the globe and the other side warning about the rise of eugenics. Paschen is right to say "Famines mean wars, revolutions and terror" but it also seems that the more people there are, the more people look at life as being cheap. When push comes to shove it's gonna get nasty. Not that it hasn't been already to date.

I remember swarms of these in Africa, a scary sight!

Had them on my land a few years ago.  They thrive when it's dry.  I's surprised I haven't seen any yet this year. 

hidflect  I think Paschen is right too.  I'm not sure that this can be attributed to global warming though.  It seems to have gone in cycles, about every four years or so.  Some areas of Alberta have received an abundance of rain, while others seem to be getting nothing.  I guess the west coast has been unusually dry this year too. 

Amazing what one small animal can do! And we think we are the superior species!

But isn't it part of the natural cycle? They aren't bad every year.

It looks like the cattle rancher can't win these days.

Saw one in my water trough today, haven't seen an infestation in the pastures though.

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Grasshoppers and drought are two separate problems, but the unfortunate thing is that they often strike farmers as a pair. Best of luck, mate. The year AFTER a drought (in this instance 2010) is often worse for grasshoppers, or so I have heard from reliable websites. So next year may be even worse. But the other comments are correct, this comes and goes in cycles. If there is plenty of rain in 2011, the populations will dramatically decrease. Rain in the early summer also delays when the eggs hatch, so their adulthood will be dramatically cut short, because they at least in the city die off by mid-September. They only live about a month as destructive adults.