The Vile Green Menace
Most people think spiders are the grossest or most terrifying bug. Aside from mosquitos, grasshoppers are the worst. At this point in my life, I’ve decided I hate and fear them.
There is no escape from grasshoppers. There’s over 11,000 known species of grasshoppers throughout the world and they are often camouflaged to hide in the surrounding habitats. The only place free of some type of grasshopper seems to be Antartica.
I’m not sure where my hatred for these green menaces came from. The main antagonist, Hopper, in the movie “A Bug’s Life” was terrifying for four-year-old me. It was also terrifying to have them attach themselves to you while you walked past. Either way I have come to hate and fear them.
I detest their beady eyes and their long legs that are able to latch onto anything near them. I’m looking forward to winter because I know they won’t be around anymore.
Aside from their normal insect features grasshoppers also have their eardrums on their stomachs instead of the side of their heads like most creatures. It is weird and disturbing to think they hear from their stomachs.
The green and brown creepy-crawlies are awful. Whenever I see one on the sidewalk I walk on the other side of the concrete to make sure it doesn’t come after me.
However, this year doesn’t seem to be great for me. Dry weather is heaven for grasshoppers. There will be a larger population of grasshoppers during droughts, so seeing so many in South Dakota shouldn’t be a surprise to people.
Grasshoppers cause billions of dollars in damage to food crops annually in the world. While a singular insect doesn’t do much damage, a swarm of grasshoppers can completely destroy croplands. Keloland recently reported a few acres of crops near Menno has been overrun by the nasty insect and destroyed some of the yield.
Pesticides won’t do much in preventing damage from grasshoppers because they are so mobile. To prevent grasshoppers from eating from your garden or any outdoor plants, it’s important to properly water them. Having grass or trees will also give grasshoppers another food source which may keep them from eating other plants in the yard. A professional pest control treatment can also help solve your pest problems. They can provide ant control services if you’re constantly dealing with ants in your home. Furthermore, if you’re having problems with rodents or mice, then a mice pest control service can provide expert solutions to remove these disease-carrying pests.
