Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, August 23, 1994 TAG: 9408230064
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
``The grasshopper is basically a pest whose numbers typically don't reach explosive levels as they have this year,'' said Rod Youngman, a field-crop specialist at Virginia Tech.
``The severe winter, which usually reduces populations of over-wintering pest insects, actually helped the grasshopper population by reducing natural enemies such as fungus and predators,'' he said.
Then came the dry spring. That dried up the grassy areas around fields and gardens where the grasshoppers normally feed, sending the hoppers in search of food in gardens and croplands, Youngman said.
Though the grasshopper will eat just about anything, farmers and gardeners don't have to be too concerned, said Rick Fell, a Virginia Tech entomologist.
The corn is too tall for the grasshoppers to reach, and the number of grasshoppers hasn't reached the biblical proportions of the plague visited on the ancient pharaoh.
Youngman said gardeners might consider reaching for the spray can if between 15 and 20 grasshoppers are found in a square yard.
``They are voracious when they're hungry,'' Youngman said. ``They have chewing mouth parts shaped much like pliers, so they can shred leaves and fruit of many crops.''
Fell said beans, soybeans and alfalfa are likely items on the grasshopper's menu because they're low to the ground.
Last week's heavy rains throughout the state also might reduce the population, Youngman said, because the dampness and humidity create an environment conducive to bacteria and fungus - just the kind of things that knock off grasshoppers.
In the meantime, Fell's advice to farmers and gardeners wondering what to do is, ``Wait it out.''
by CNB