Grasshoppers are invading these Sacramento-area cities. Here’s how to protect your yard
Grasshoppers have invaded the Sacramento area, with reports of “unusual” insect activity on the rise.
“In the past week, West Placer, Roseville and Lincoln have received an increase in reports of unusual grasshopper activity,” Placer County said in a Thursday news release.
This is “way above and beyond what we have seen in Placer County,” said Josh Huntsinger, the county’s director of agriculture parks and resources.
Here’s what you need to know about the grasshopper infestation.
What kind of grasshoppers are we seeing in Sacramento area?
The grasshoppers spotted in parts of Placer County are short-horned grasshoppers.
The leaping insects are green, olive, tan and brown, which helps them camouflage, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
They measure about ½ to 1 inch long, although some specimens can get up to 3 inches in length.
Nymphs, or, young grasshoppers, emerge from the soil in the late spring, according to the county release. They shed their skin five times over the span of two months before they become winged, flying adult grasshoppers.
The grasshoppers eat lettuce, beans, corn, carrots, onions and some annual flowers, the release said.
However, the bugs tend to leave tomatoes and squash alone.
Why are residents seeing more grasshoppers?
Grasshoppers are simply looking for food, Huntsinger said.
“When conditions are favorable such as warm, moist springs when abundant food is produced, populations may increase dramatically,” the county said in the release, noting that grasshoppers may venture into neighborhoods and landscaped areas in search of food.
“When the vegetation in the farmland dries up, the grasshoppers are all migrating over to peoples’ yards,” he said
“Landscape plants can be a desirable food source for grasshoppers,” the release said, although garden damage is usually limited to a few weeks.
Are grasshopper infestations common?
Most of the time, the county said, grasshoppers “go unnoticed.”
“Severe outbreaks only occur every eight to 10 years and can last a couple of years,” county officials said in the release.
How can you stop bugs from eating your plants?
“Once large numbers of grasshoppers are present in residential landscaping, control options are very limited,” Placer County said.
However, residents can try a few things to stop grasshoppers from devouring their gardens or yards:
- Protect individual plants by covering them with screens or cloth.
- Screen your most desirable plants and leave other plants for grasshoppers to eat.
- Manually remove insects by raking or sweeping, bagging the bugs for disposal.
When will insect infestation end?
“There is no expected time frame on how long this grasshopper infestation may last,” county officials said in the release.
You can learn more about pests and how to control them by calling the Placer County Master Gardeners at 530-889-7388 or submitting a question form through the group’s website, pcmg.ucanr.edu/Got_Questions.
This story was originally published June 7, 2024 at 1:50 PM.