Utah Farmers Brace for Grasshopper Surge After Mild Winter

Utah's agriculture sector faces renewed threats from grasshoppers following a mild 2025-2026 winter, which failed to kill off buried eggs the way harsh cold might. Unlike the high snowpack of winter 2023 that insulated eggs and sparked 2024's outbreak, this year's warmer soils preserved populations, per Utah State University Extension experts[1]. Nick Volesky, USU integrated pest management program associate, noted grasshoppers' resilience: eggs underground evade freezing air, thriving in moist, cool conditions before warm springs trigger hatching[1][2]. Farmers in northern Utah, including Cache Valley and Logan-area organic operations, report echoes of 2024's damage to corn, green beans, strawberries, onions and flower farms[2]. Abigail Lazier, student organic farm manager at USU, described last summer's 'extensive damage' from the highly mobile pests, which devour up to 50% of their body weight daily—equivalent to 30 pounds of grasshoppers matching a 600-pound steer's intake[2][3]. About 12 of Utah's nearly 400 grasshopper species pose pest risks, competing with cattle on rangelands receiving under 30 inches of annual rain and worsening drought effects[3]. USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service leads suppression via monitoring and treatments, but federal lands complicate efforts as unmanaged pests migrate to private farms[3]. USU advises early action: scout weedy fencerows for non-flying nymphs in spring, deploy 100% effective row covers, hand-pick insects mornings when cold slows them, or drown in soapy water[1][2]. Community-wide control is urged, as isolated efforts falter against migratory swarms, with populations expected high before natural diseases or wet weather curb them[1].