A massive swarm of grasshoppers has invaded a rural town in Sacramento County, eating foliage, hopping around and creating a nuisance.
Folks in Herald, about 30 miles southeast of Sacramento, say their new neighbors moved in at the beginning of June.
They brought their appetites and their friends. Scientists haven't done a head count yet, but locals have a pretty good estimate.
"Umm, 50 million," said 7-year-old Moe Gunter.
And with that many bugs jumping all over the place and eating their own body weight every couple days or so, vegetation is getting worked over.
"The roses on this side are about half-way gone," said Denae Gunter, pointing out plants in front of her home. "The hedges here are slowly going…"
But if residents and farmers in Herald are fed up with them, UC Davis bug experts are kind of excited.
Entomologist Steve Heydon said these types of swarms are rare.
The working theory: This winter was dry and warm, so there's less vegetation around for the bugs to eat. But the winter before saw a lot more precipitation than usual, so with plenty of food there were a lot of extra little bugs born.
People in rural Sacramento County can look forward to seeing their "friends" around for as long as another month.
SOURCE and VIDEO
-Stretch
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The same thing happened in Mariposa County just southeast of here a couple years ago. In the settlement of Hornitos they were eating the paint of the buildings.
I was hunting coyotes down there one morning and had to quit shortly after dawn because the hoppers were so thick I couldn't see clearly enough to shoot. Once I got back to the truck I had to strip down to pants only and still ended up with a shitload of the little bastards in the cab. Motherfuckers drove me crazy for a week - I'd be driving down the road doing 60 and all of a sudden a grasshopper would land on my face.
I was reminded this morning that this is the 50th anniversary of the publication of Rachel Carson's evil little piece of propaganda, "Silent Spring". That one book gave rise to the formation of the EPA, the banning of DDT, and the deaths of literally millions that resulted from the ban. Diseases that were almost non-existent a half-century ago, like malaria, are spreading at levels not seen since before the industrial revolution. I hope she's rotting in Hell.
ReplyDeleteFuck Rachel Carson
Fuck Obama
"This winter was dry and warm"
ReplyDeleteI've heard that bit used in conjunction with a lot of problems lately.
What can't be blamed on G.W.B. must be blamed on CO2.
Little bastards hurt when you catch one in the face at 60 MPH on a motorcycle.
ReplyDeleteDon't taste that good, either!
Hey, I live about five miles east of Herald. The grill of my Dodge has done it's duty thinning the swarm as I pass through town at 70mph.
ReplyDelete