Driven by drought, heat-loving grasshoppers are thriving in Alberta, threatening to devour crops in central and southern parts of the province.
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.
Experts warn the infestations increase the risk of future outbreaks and serve as a reminder of the need to better monitor the pests. "With the fire and the flood, we're talking about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, right?" she quipped. Females lay eggs in soil late in the summer. After a winter just below the surface, nymphs hatch from their seed pods in spring. They feed on vegetation as they grow into adulthood, moult and grow wings.
Before its extinction in the late 19th century, a grasshopper known as the Rocky Mountain locust swarmed across the West. Blizzards of the bugs would obscure the sun. Some species are harmless to crops and play an important part in the grasslands ecosystem, serving as meals for birds and other prey.
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