Montana Ag Network: USDA issues grasshopper forecast [Video]

GREAT FALLS — The United States Department of Agriculture released its 2024 Grasshopper Hazard Forecast in October of 2023. It predicts that much of Central and Eastern Montana will see a large density of grasshoppers this year.

The USDA reports, there are nearly 400 grasshopper species that inhabit the Western United States, but only a small number (12) are considered pests. Grasshoppers are known to cause damage to cultivated crops like corn, alfalfa, barley, and wheat.

As many livestock producers have recovered hay supply issues in recent years, the Montana Stockgrowers Association is concerned with the amount of aid available for pesticide programs.

“If you have a problem with your your neighbor’s cattle and spraying on your place and eating your grass, it’s your responsibility to build a good fence and keep them out. We can’t fence those grasshoppers out,” explained John Grande, President of MSGA. “For the producers that …