Treating Mormon Cricket Outbreaks in Natrona and Converse Counties
"Nearly two weeks ago, Edgerton, WY, experienced a swarm of thousands of Mormon crickets. Luckily, they’ve moved onto rangeland and out of people’s way, but it’s still important to understand that this situation could have been much worse" wrote the Wyoming weed and pest in a recent news release.
As for Natrona County, the crickets are present in larger-than-normal densities. But not so many that they are a real danger. A big outbreak is always possible and being near crops would have been a different story for this surge.
“Grasshoppers and Mormon crickets can cause serious economic losses to agricultural resources,” Shambaugh stated. “Impacts vary by county, but in hardest hit areas, it is possible to see heavy defoliation and lack of forage in rangelands, and significant damage to croplands.”
The crickets are expected to mate in the next two to three weeks and die shortly after. In the meantime, Natrona County Weed and Pest, Converse County Weed and Pest, and APHIS are monitoring the situation and treating the outbreak.
“This type of stuff doesn’t happen every year, but it’s fairly awe-inspiring when you see it,” said Matt Jolivet, supervisor for the Natrona County Weed and Pest. “We have the tools and resources to treat them, especially when it comes to human health and safety.”
Jolivet mentioned that there’s a lot of variability in treating these outbreaks, especially when it comes to the land use of areas affected.
A big challenge with Mormon cricket outbreaks is that these pests can band together, migrate up to a mile a day, and change directions without any reason.
“With the help of USDA APHIS and informed landowners, the treatment in Converse County worked really well,” said Jess Butler, Assistant Supervisor for Converse County Weed and Pest.
“Luckily, every county in Wyoming has a Weed and Pest District to make a successful management plan for any threat that might come our way."
Much of the infestation is on federal land, says Lindsey Woodward, Weed and Pest Program Coordinator for the Wyoming Department of Agriculture. And while the Weed and Pest Districts "do a great job of trying to plan for outbreaks like this," controlling big outbreaks can get expensive quick.
Funding and outbreak on the fly is difficult because of the long process partners have to go through for approval.
Woodward argues that with the potential for much worse outbreaks across the state, funding should be made available consistently instead of rushing to find funds when it happens.