Grasshoppers to Fire Ants

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Grasshoppers to Fire Ants

• Jeffery K. Tomberlin, Ph.D.
• Department of Entomology
• Texas AM University

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Grasshoppers
What are they?
Why a problem?
Control?
3
Where are Grasshoppers a Problem??
Egypt
Australia
4
How about Texas???
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Grasshopper Outbreaks

• Involve more than one species
• Destroy vegetation indiscriminately
• Individual species have preferences
• Invasion rather than infestation
• Movement, sometimes great distances
• Outbreaks measured in years

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Two Types of Outbreaks

• Eruptive
• Food supply generally not limiting
• Outbreak follows drought or heavy grazing
• Gradient
• Food supply usually limiting
• Above normal vegetation support above normal
  forage

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Grasshoppers

• 150 species in Texas
• Grasshoppers
• Eggs laid in grassy ditches, roadsides, and
  rangeland
• Move from above areas when populations are high
• 30/yard will eat 1 ton of vegetation in 10 days
• Eat ½ their weight each day

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Five Most Wanted
Differential
Migratory
Two-striped
Red-legged
Packard
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High Reproductive Capacity

• One generation per year
• Except migratory and red-legged
• 200 eggs per female
• 40 in a bad year
• 400 in a good year
• Hatch starts in mid-April
• Not all eggs laid at the same time
• Different species hatch at different times

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Habitat Preferences

• Rangeland and pastures
• Vegetation with an open canopy
• Numerous patches of bare ground
• Reduced plant density

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Habitat preferences (slide 2)

• Sunlight and low humidity discourage grasshopper
  diseases
• Higher temperatures accelerate
• Egg development
• Nymphal growth
• Adult female egg production

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Habitat preferences (slide 3)

• Canopy removal
• Increases basking sites for early morning
  thermoregulation
• Dry stems increase perching sites
• Avoid high mid-day heat

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Population Limitations

• Bare spots in pastures
• Thermal regulation
• Early summer rains
• Fungus
• Natural enemies
• Birds
• Insect predators
• Parasites

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Control Methods

• Cultural
• Biological
• Chemical

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Cultural Control-Rangeland/Pasture

• Increase in live plant basal cover
• Decrease open areas
• Reduced grazing if possible
• Allow plants to recover

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Cultural Control-Cropland

• Elimination of weedy habitats
• Tillage
• Herbicide
• Perennial, sod-forming grass
• Tillage on land infested with eggs
• Delayed planting

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Cultural Control(protecting trees)

• Vinyl tree protectors
• Guard-Tex Tree Wrap
• Tree trunk paint

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Biological Control

• Insect predators
• Blister ground beetles attack eggs
• Birds, chickens, your foot!
• Nosema locustae Nolo Bait, Grasshopper Attack
  Large acreages 40-50 percent control
• EVEN viruses fungi in nature

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Chemical Control

• Non-cropland Chemicals
• Asana, diazinon, malathion and carbaryl
• Rangeland - Dimilin
• Improved Pasture Chemicals
• Malathion and carbaryl

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Integrated Pest Management

• Use of all three techniques in combination with
  monitoring pest populations

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Integrated Grasshopper Management

• Control should begin before grasshoppers move
  into landscape.
• check for grasshoppers in weedy areas
• spot treatment in these areas can be effective
• Scout field margins
• border and spot treatments if needed

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Integrated grasshopper management (slide 2)

• Plow undisturbed areas in late summer
• Preferred egg laying site
• Takes away adult and immatures food
• Reduced tillage may increase numbers
• Sanitation

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Integrated grasshopper management (slide 3)

• Floating row covers
• Harmony Farm Supply
• Gardens Alive
• Non-cropland Chemicals
• Asana, diazinon, malathion and carbaryl
• Rangeland - Dimilin
• Improved Pasture Chemicals
• Malathion and carbaryl

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Grasshopper Ratings/Square Yard
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Integrated grasshopper management (slide 4)

• RAAT Treatments on Pastures
• Reduced Area Agent Treatments
• Skip swath

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Integrated grasshopper management (slide 5)

• Homeowner Chemical
• Pyrethroids
• bifenthrin (Ortho Ready to Use Home Defense and
  others),
• permethrin (Pro Tech Sniper Yard and Garden
  Concentrate, Spectracide Bug Stop, Eliminator
  Home Pest Insect Control and others)
• cyfluthrin (Bayer Advanced Garden Lawn and
  Garden Multi Insect Killer)

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Integrated grasshopper management (slide 6)

• Baiting
• 5 Carbaryl bait
• Wilbur-Ellis
• 4 to 32 feet wide
• 40 pounds per acre
• Problems with baiting
• Some grasshoppers have narrow food preferences

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• Tinjiya (Tswana recipe) remove the wings and
  hindlegs of the locusts, and boil in a little
  water until soft. Add salt, if desired, and a
  little fat and fry until brown. Serve with
  cooked, dried mealies (corn).
• Cambodia take several dozen locust adults,
  preferably females, slit the abdomen lengthwise
  and stuff a peanut inside. Then lightly grill the
  locusts in a wok or hot frying pan, adding a
  little oil and salt to taste. Be careful not to
  overcook or burn them.

Lets Eat!!!