The pallid-winged grasshopper (Trimerotropis pallidipennis) seems to have taken over Las Vegas! They have entirely blanketed some areas so thick that they are being picked up by weather radar!
This is a nightmare come true for those of you with acridophobia (An irrational fear of grasshoppers and locusts)! For people like me, these situations spark interest and instantly makes me wonder...how and why?!?!? I need details! Take me there so I can see it with my own eyes! Unfortunately, a Las Vegas trip isn't going to happen anytime soon.
Most of us here in Arizona are now wondering, are we next?!?! Do we need to prepare?!?!
The simple answer to that is, there is a good chance we can and will encounter a very similar situation here in Arizona. Many people here in Prescott, Arizona, have already started to report that they have seen the grasshoppers in large numbers. Yesterday during a quick trip to the hardware store, as I opened my car door in the parking lot, a grasshopper hopped right into my car! I quickly noticed that they were all over the parking lot.
It does appear that we are already encountering a large population of these grasshoppers here in Northern Arizona. The question is, will it get worse? Well, nobody can give a definite answer to that. We will just have to wait and see.
What we can say is that we have had grasshopper swarms like the one going on in Las Vegas right now here in Arizona on multiple occasions. Between 1952 and 1980, we have had at least six of these grasshopper swarms in Arizona.
It seems as the South West portion of the United States has had the perfect conditions for these types of swarms. Experts believe that a long period of very little precipitation followed by a large amount of rainfall is what creates these ideal conditions for these swarms. With the long period of very little rain, the grasshoppers can deposit their eggs into the ground without them being damaged by the storms. This results in millions of grasshoppers hatching all at once.
During these summer months, the grasshoppers will begin their northern migration through the deserts of North America, and this is when we see these large swarms. That being said, I think we all should be prepared here in Arizona.
Luckily, this species of grasshopper is entirely harmless to humans. They do not carry diseases, they don't bite, and most likely will not cause any damage to your yard. If you have crops or gardens, then you have a reason to be concerned as these grasshoppers feed on vegetation. Swarms of this size can surely do a significant amount of damage to your garden. Now your wondering, how to do I keep them out of my garden?!?! This is an area in which I do not have experience in. I have to send you to Google for these answers. I know there are many different options out there, but I could not tell you what actually works and what doesn't.
What I can tell you is, like many insects, these grasshoppers are attracted to lights. Using amber light bulbs in your front yard is an excellent way to keep these grasshoppers away from your yard at night. Those bright 5000K+ light bulbs is a great way to invite these grasshoppers to your yard if that is what you are wanting.
For now, we just wait to see if those grasshopper swarms make it here or not. If they do, please send me your photos with locations to zeldinadventures@gmail.com.
Photo Credit: Steve Marcus