Beitrag 1 von 2 zum Thema miracle wanted |
Seite erstellt am 29.3.24 um 14:20 Uhr |
Verfasser: vedma Datum: Mittwoch, den 4. April 2001, um 15:03 Uhr Betrifft: miracle wanted
Leute, passt auf, die Mormon crickets sind im Anmarsch. Jetzt wird in Utah sicher fleiÃig gebetet:
Those pesky critters named for the Utah pioneers they harassed in the 19th century are back in what officials say could be the worst infestation of Mormon crickets in 60 years.
Legions of Mormon crickets and their equally hungry grasshopper cousins are expected to infest 1,251,500 acres this spring and summer, 500 acres more than last year’s record-breaking total, according to a fall survey of Utah lands.
The bad news is that surveys usually underestimate infestations, which means actual acreage could be far greater, Larry Lewis, public information officer for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, said Tuesday.
In 1997, only 23,000 acres were infested.
"The [insect] population comes in cycles that depend on environmental conditions during each year the hatchings take place," said Ed Bianco, state entomologist. "That’s why it’s hard to predict when this particular cycle will end."
Contributing to the infestations has been inadequate funding during the past three years for spraying the insects before they could lay billions of eggs on federal lands. This year, state officials are poised to ask Gov. Mike Leavitt to declare infested counties disaster areas, which could free up federal funding, at least to offset crop losses. The potential loss to the state’s field crop industry is expected to total $315 million.