How Do Grasshoppers Affect Farmers' Crops in Pennsylvania?

Grasshopper Basics

• Grasshoppers lay eggs in late summer or fall and the eggs hatch around spring. Grasshoppers typically begin their lives eating grass in ditches then migrate to crops, such as newly emerged wheat. To eliminate the problem before it occurs, experts like Colorado State University Professor of Entomology F.B. Peairs recommend controlling the grasshoppers with a low-rate insecticide while they infest the ditch. If the problem goes unattended, the grasshoppers will be bigger and harder to control when they reach the crop field. Also, it is more difficult to eliminate grasshopper populations in crops because they fan out in fields rather than staying together in a concentrated area such as ditches. Another consideration for farmers is whether the money spent on insecticide treatment is less than the potential devastation of crops. Grasshoppers pose a significant threat to emerging winter wheat because the plants are small and the grasshoppers are adults, according to Peairs.

Treatment Options

• There are numerous bug-repellant treatments for crops, but foliar insecticides are usually the treatment of choice. This method requires application of an insecticide just before the crops emerge. Another option is carbaryl insecticide-impregnated bran, which works well when applied over wheat. However, the effectiveness is reduced by rainfall, thus not a great choice for Pennsylvania or other high-rainfall areas. Another option includes spreading Nosema locustae, a disease-causing protozoan that attacks grasshoppers. One negative of this bait is that it is a slower treatment; it does not protect the crop until the growing season after it is applied.

Harmful Effects of Excessive Insecticide

• A recent study by Tracy Hampton in The Journal of the American Medical Association has found several symptoms common among farmers with long-term exposure to insecticides. Some major symptoms include headaches, nausea, dizziness, insomnia, tremors and numbness. Additionally, numerous scientific studies have found results connecting developmental abnormalities in birds, fish and insects to the use of too much insecticides and other chemicals.

Finding A Balance

• It is critical to both human and environmental health to weigh the pros and cons of insecticides. Although grasshoppers and other insects can be devastating to human crops, using too much insecticide has negative effects as well. There are many resources available to calculate the amount of insecticide appropriate to maintain crops without harming humans or the environment.