TWENTY-NINTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 9 



fact that cool, wet weather during the spring months delayed the 

 hatch and development of the 'hoppers to such a degree that their 

 presence was not especially apparent until most crops were har- 

 vested or so far advanced that the damage to them was not noticed. 

 As a result of this and the extreme shortage of labor comparatively 

 little control work was carried on. 



A comparison of the 1941 program with 1942 in table 3 indicates 

 that as the grasshopper menace deceases there is a tendency for 

 farmers to neglect control work. In 1941 there were nearly twice 

 as many counties participating in the control program, over twice 

 as many farmers taking part and over five times as much bait 

 used as there was in 1942. The lack of interest and cooperation 

 in years of light infestations often causes them to be more costly 

 than years of heavy populations as is shown in table 3. In 1941, a 

 year of comparatively heavy infestation, the estimated damage 

 caused by 'hoppers was approximately $179,000 less than the esti- 

 mated damage in 1942, and the estimated savings from control 

 work in 1941 nearly 3]/£ million dollars more. Besides the losses 



TABLE 3. SUMMARY OF GRASSHOPPER CONTROL PROGRAM 



1941 1942 



No. Mixing Stations 32 23 



Counties actively engaged 32 19 



Farmers using bait 3325 1590 



Dry bait used 3668.39 691.6 



Acres baited 671,420 157.773 



Estimated loss $1,420,292. $1,599,695. 



Estimated savings $4,231,409. $817,671. 



sustained in years of lighter infestations the populations are allowed 

 to build up for more serious situations in following years. If the 

 light and incipient infestations were controlled greater savings 

 would be made with relatively small cost. 



The areas in the State which were most heavily infested with 

 grasshoppers were northwestern Yellowstone, southern Mussel- 

 shell, southeastern Golden Valley, and northeastern Stillwater 

 counties in the vicinity of Broadview, Acton, and Rapelje; north- 

 eastern Rosebud, southeastern Garfield, southwestern Prairie, and 

 northwestern Custer in the vicinity of Rock Springs and Crow 

 Creek; and southern McCone County. The Camas Prairie and 

 Lonepine areas in Sanders County and most of Big Horn County 

 were also heavily infested. 



Cool, wet weather during most of May and June caused the 

 hatch over most of the State to be quite late and uneven. The first 

 general hatch occurred about June 15. Nymphal development was 

 also delayed by the unfavorable weather conditions. 



The dominant species over the State was M. mexicanus, with 

 M. bivittatus second in importance. Other species were not ob- 



