52 PROTECTION OF PLANTS, 1915-16 



GRASSHOPPERS AND THEIR CONTROL 



Arthur Gibson, Chief Assistant Entomologist, Department of 



Agriculture, Ottav/a. 



Locusts, or as they are more commonly called grasshoppers, have long 

 been known to destroy crops of various kinds. Fortunately the notorious 

 Rocky Mountian Locust which in years gone by destroyed many thousands 

 of dollars worth of growing crops in western Canada, has not since 1904 

 caused any serious damage. A closely allied species, however, known as 

 the Lesser Migratory Locust, which is a native kind, occurs all over Canada, 

 and, during recent years, has in the eastern provinces caused much injury 

 to growing crops. In certain districts of Quebec Province whole farms have 

 been abandoned owing to the complete devastation caused by the locusts 

 in previous seasons. Sandy areas that had been reclaimed had reverted to 

 the original condition as the locusts had destroyed the grasses and vege- 

 tation binding the sand and preventing its drifting. 



The locusts are true biting insects and feed actively throughout ajl 

 their stages after hatching from the eggs. The latter are deposited freely 

 in packets or pods, chiefly in old, neglected pasture lands, and along road- 

 sides, etc., in spots where the soil is dry and largely free of vegetation. 

 The number of eggs in each pod varies with the species. Some pods con- 

 tain only 10 eggs while others contain as many as 70. They are deposited 

 in late summer and in autumn, the young locusts not hatching until spring 

 of the following year. 



Towards the end of May, 1915, young locusts began to appear in 

 noticeable numbers in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, but owing to 

 dull, cool weather conditions did not become active until the first and second 

 weeks of June. From many townships and parishes in these two provinces 

 reports of the presence of locusts in destructive numbers were received. 

 The crops attacked were chiefly oats, barley, timothy, buckwheat, clover, 

 tobacco, potatoes and corn. In one instance near Ottawa about 6,000 

 celery plants were destroyed. 



The writer has seen several serious outbreaks of locusts in previous 

 years but never until last June were the insects observed by him in such 

 enormous numbers as at Bowesville, Ont., and Lanoraie, Que. In fields 

 which were examined the locusts were present in countless thousands. The 

 soil is similar in both localities, being of a light sandy character, and in 



