Did you miss the Grasshopper Forecast on the news last night?

The 2017 grasshopper forecast shows low infestations of grasshoppers in the Golden Plains and the Front Range areas with a small spot of moderate infestation in areas between Morgan and Weld counties.

According to the 2016 USDA APHIS adult grasshopper counts, there were low populations of grasshoppers in Colorado last year with the exception of some areas of a potential moderate risk of infestations in south eastern counties( Baca, Bent, Crowley, El Paso, Las Animas, Kiowa, Otero, Pueblo and Prowers) in 2017.

Weather conditions will determine how much of the damage potential will be realized in those areas with light to moderate populations of grasshoppers. Most grasshopper outbreaks are associated with several years of dry conditions.

The simple economic threshold for grasshoppers in rangeland is 15-20 grasshopper nymphs per square yard. This number is equivalent eight to ten adult grasshoppers per square yard. However, the economic importance of an infestation is affected by such factors as grasshopper species, range condition, cattle prices, and treatment costs. CARMA is a computer program that allows the landowners to include these factors in their treatment decisions. CARMA is available at the same website as the hazard map mentioned earlier.

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