Grasshopper Swarms Destroy Thousands of Acres in Oregon
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VALLEY FALLS, Ore. — Clouds of grasshoppers are mowing down thousands of acres of grazing land in southern Oregon, agriculture authorities say.
The infestation is being triggered by seven years of drought, along with mild winters that have allowed millions of grasshopper eggs to hatch. About 25,000 acres are affected around this south-central Oregon town and another 25,000 acres near Burns.
Dick Jackson, an entomologist with the state Department of Agriculture, called the grasshopper population explosion “horrendous.” It is the worst since 1968, when the state sprayed a million acres to get rid of them, he said.
The state cannot kill the grasshoppers with pesticides now because marshy areas and streams could become contaminated, officials said.
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