The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1937-08-19
Sees Danger
of Serious
Infestaion
POISON FOR BAIT WILL
BE AVAILABLE FOR
INSECT WAR

Grasshopper infestation in
Redwood county is reaching
serious proportions, accord
ing to H. L. Parten, enty-
mologist from the Univer-
sity of Minnesota extension
division who predicts that
some damage will be felt in
the next two weeks and that
next year unless precautions
are taken, the pests may de-
stroy the crop.
They're spotted now but
in two weeks you'll know
where they are and you won't
know where you are" he told
j. /. Swedberg, county agent.
He said that in all probability
residents of Redwood Falls and
other towns in the county will be
called upon to help spread poison
bait in the emergency and told
Mr.. Swedberg he must be pre-
pared to go without sleep and
keep at his desk at all hours for
telephone calls during the pestil-
ence.
The infestation, he said, is
similar to that of the Red River
valley in 1929. The following year
the insects practically took the
crop there.
Urges Spreading Poison
''These plaques are not consid-
cred economically important be-
cause they are local in scope" he
said, "but given favorable wealth
err conditions you'll find that next
year the hopper population will
have increased 500 times its pre-
sent number"
Spread the poison now" he
advised, Don't look forward to
natural control of grasshoppers.
They have their parasites but
they don't harm the hoppers a
Bit
Already a half ton of arsenious
oxide and $50 pounds of crude
arsenic mixed into mash have
been distributed here.
After a tour of inspection with
Mr.. Parten Monday, Mr.. SWed-
berg ordered a carload of poison
bait. A carload includes 10 tons,
enough to treat 1000 acres. The
state highway department will
cooperate in lending equipment
for transporting the bait which is
furnished by the federal govern
ment, it was announced this
week.
Hoppers have been reported as
thick in Brookville, Morgan,
Charlestown, Paxton, Sheridan
and Swede's Forest townships.
However it is believed that they
are infesting all part of the
county in spotted neighborhoods.
The hoppers here are of two
varieties, the red-legged which
grows to about an inch in length
and the two-lined yellow which is
half inch longer. Those in the
county now are in their sixth
moultirg or winged stage. They
moult six times before having
wings and then are able to move
about in local areas.
Find Corn Damage
They are not migratory as were
the Rocky Mountain locusts
which stripped crops here in 1875
and 1911.
Mr.. Parten and the county
agent found evidences of damage
done to corn already. Because Of
the cold spring they did not hatch
in time to damage small grain but
are now moving into corn and Sc
cond-crop alfalfa. Mr.. Parten says
corn damage may run high in
some townships unless bait is
distributed as soon as possible.
In the Red River valley, he re-
calls. the hoppers completely de-
molished crops and even gnawed
pltchfork handles in places where
hands had left perspiration. He
knew one farmer who laid down
his shirt and came back to find it
OH SoICll bot tllC OuItOIlS.
Next year, unless preventative
measures are taken," he said, "the
hoppers will increase 500 times.
If there is a warm spring, the
small grain will be destroyed"
Helping to organize the first
hopper control program in the
county, Mr.. Parten remarked that
the average farmer does not real
ize the seriousness of the impend-
ing plague.
He says that the bait should be
scattered when the temperature
is between IS and IS degrees as
the hoppers will feed only under
those conditions.
Eggs are laid in pods, Is or 20
to the square foot with rs to 100
eggs in each pod. They are water
PROCEED with a natural secretion.
He advocates deep fall blowing to
bury the pods six or seven inches
underground so the young cannot
emerge.
The infestation is spread over
southwestern Minnesota south
from a line even with the Twin
Cities west to South Dakota.
CTTYnENT cor nc