What next, locusts?
Prescient.
In recent days we've seen stories from Bloomberg:
Worst Locust Plague in Two Decades Threatens Australian Harvest
The Sofia Echo:
Moroccan locusts invade southeastern Bulgaria
The New York Times, datelined Lusk, Wyo:
Going to War Against Grasshoppers
Finally, from the Durango Telegraph:
Plague of locusts forecast for West
A storm of locusts could be on the horizon. Forecasters are expecting an invasion of grasshoppers all over the West this summer, and the swarm is expected to escalate to near Biblical proportions in some areas.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expecting 2010 to bring the worst grasshopper outbreak since the mid-1980s. Based on a warm and dry spring and a survey indicating a large number of eggs, Western States should be seeing swarms as soon as early June.
The heaviest outbreaks are expected in Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. However, the insects are currently hatching in New Mexico and Arizona, and the Four Corners could get a taste of the hopper outbreak.
The insects promise to be more than a mere nuisance. Up to 15 separate species of “hungry pest” are expected to take flight in the West this summer, and millions of acres of grass, forage and vegetables could go into their mandibles.If you should happen to behold a pale horse, drop me a line, would ya?
The locust plague is expect to peak in August, when dryness and heat sap crops and offer prime grazing for the pests.
