Eig^hteenth Annual Report of the State 

 Entomologist of Montana 



CURRENT ENTOMOLOGICAL PROBLEMS 



The outstanding- entomological problems at the present time 

 are the following : 



GRASSHOPPERS 



Grasshoppers are to be classified among those insects which 

 ■ave always present in greater or less numbers. More or less dam- 

 age is done every year. However, during the past few years we 

 have had an unusual number of these insects in portions of the 

 state and the season of 1920 was one of the worst in this respect 

 that we have had in many years. In the accompanying map of 

 Montana the spots in black indicate the actual areas of serious grass- 

 liopper damage which were brought to our attention or discovered 

 by representatives of this office. In all, so far as we know, approx- 

 imately 140,000 acres of Montana lands were seriously affected. 

 Our records show that largely under the guidance of our men 

 approximately 36,790 acres were poisoned, which resulted in a sav- 

 ing of $634,474.48.* 



We received numerous appeals for help but were able to comply 

 Avith only a part of them. Much more could have been done if we 

 had had another assistant. Our method is to cooperate with the 

 county agents in grasshopper control as in the control of other pests. 

 It should be realized that the control of insect pests on a large scale 

 is such a specialized subject that the county agent is in need of the 

 assistance of a specialist. The county agent who has once gone 

 through an outbreak of grasshoppers can conduct campaigns against 

 these insects but the insect pests of any state are variable. Besides 



■'Careful estimates in the eighteen counties where this work was carried 

 on show that 36,790 acres in crop were poisoned, that by this poisoning adjoin- 

 ing crops were saved to the extent of 7,265 acres, bringing the total acreage 

 saved to 44,055. At $15 per acre, which is a low estimate of the value of crops 

 in the counties affected, the gross saving amounts to $660,825, and when the 

 cost of poisoning apart from labor — $26,350.52 — is deducted, an actual money 

 saving of $634,474.48 is shown. 



