As a farmer this plague of grasshoppers is bad news for non-grasshopper insects. High grasshopper numbers means lots of insecticide spraying.
Also pests tend to increase as others decrease, because they are stronger under adverse conditions. We have few butterflies, wild bees, dung beetles and other desirables. But vast quantities of grasshoppers, mosquitoes and ticks, plenty of horseflies too.
Same for birds, we have less songbirds, purple martins, ducks etc. every year. More sparrows, starlings, magpies, all invasive pest birds.
As a farmer this plague of grasshoppers is bad news for non-grasshopper insects. High grasshopper numbers means lots of insecticide spraying.
Also pests tend to increase as others decrease, because they are stronger under adverse conditions. We have few butterflies, wild bees, dung beetles and other desirables. But vast quantities of grasshoppers, mosquitoes and ticks, plenty of horseflies too.
Same for birds, we have less songbirds, purple martins, ducks etc. every year. More sparrows, starlings, magpies, all invasive pest birds.
Ah well. I try to find silver linings where I can.
Sparrows eat grasshoppers, so maybe there’s one? :)