'It might be the story for a couple years': Grasshoppers devouring some southern Alberta farms
It's been a whirlwind season for farmers in southern Alberta who have had to deal with dry weather and extreme heat. Now, uninvited insects are adding more misery to their already-wounded crops.
The region's grasshopper population is booming and the pesky insects are ripping through farmers' crops, leaving behind a trail of devastation.
One of the biggest hurdles is that grasshopper infestations aren't an easy thing to control.
"Most insecticides are non-selective so, if you have to go in because you have a problem with something like grasshoppers in your crops, you're also going to hurt all the beneficial insects," said research coordinator for Farming Smarter Chris Gretzinger.
"It's a really delicate balancing act and it's a challenge because farmers don't want to spray."
The main reason grasshoppers are swarming some pockets of southern Alberta is because of the hot and dry weather.
Those conditions are also causing heat stress on crops and many farmers are having to pull the plug on well over half of their farm which means, spraying pesticides to reduce the grasshopper population doesn't make much financial sense.
"The challenge, especially for dryland farmers, is if you're not going to get a crop, should you spend the money trying to control grasshoppers?" said southern Alberta farmer John Kolk.
John Kolk, July 16, 2021
"There's just nothing to save there anymore and we never want to spray if we don’t have to because a lot of the prairie birds will pick up quite a few grasshoppers."
With many farmers choosing not to spend money to keep the grasshopper population at bay, it means this could be the start of a cyclical uptick that will be felt for the next few years.
"We're just probably at the tilt edge of starting the be overwhelmed in some of those hot spots and of course, they're going to be laying eggs," said Kolk.
"If those eggs get through the winter, this could build into something really ugly next year and over the next couple of weeks, we'll see what the weather does."
GRASSHOPPER SURGE
This isn't the first time grasshopper populations have surged on southern Alberta farms.
Grasshoppers, Lethbridge, July 16, 2021
In the early 1980's there was a massive boom in population and then again in the 1990's.
Kolk remembers those hordes of grasshoppers well.
"If you hit the brakes (back then), you were skidding on grasshopper carcasses," he said. "So, we're nowhere near that level in this area right now, but you know, they build in a cycle so we'll be keeping an eye on the situation."
The combination of scorching conditions decimating some farms and grasshoppers munching away on others has left many farmers staring down their worst yield in roughly 20 years.
Those supply issues are causing a massive uptick in prices which is being felt by farmers of all stripes.
"Anybody who needs feed or needs that crop right now is facing a really ugly challenge," said Kolk.
"Farming likes everything kind of smooth and steady," Kolk said. "That's what we'd like, we don't get it very often, but this is a challenge that's bigger than the crop farmers. It's the pasture guys, it's the feedlot operators, it's the hog operators. All of us are being impacted."
At this point, farmers in the area are just hoping mother nature can provide some kind of relief during the most challenging year in recent memory.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Police investigating shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
3 Indian nationals accused of murdering Hardeep Singh Nijjar facing court in B.C.
Three Indian nationals accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are due to face court Tuesday over the killing that triggered a major diplomatic rift with India.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.