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Plague of Locusts or Where's Charlton Heston When You Need a Moses
A massive swarm of grasshoppers has invaded a rural town in Sacramento County, eating foliage, hopping around and creating a nuisance.Well, grasshoppers do hop. And fiddle, too, and then want to live of the ant's earnings. So I guess California is the place they should be. Folks in Herald, about 30 miles southeast of Sacramento, say their new neighbors moved in at the beginning of June. They brought their appetites and their friends. Scientists haven't done a head count yet, but locals have a pretty good estimate. Somebody will probably blame on the Joos. "Umm, 50 million," said 7-year-old Moe Gunter. And with that many bugs jumping all over the place and eating their own body weight every couple days or so, vegetation is getting worked over. I hear Fried Grasshopper is good. "The roses on this side are about half-way gone," said Denae Gunter, pointing out plants in front of her home. "The hedges here are slowly going..." But if residents and farmers in Herald are fed up with them, UC Davis bug experts are kind of excited. A bug expert's paradise! Entomologist Steve Heydon said these types of swarms are rare. Go to Somalia. Or is it the Sudan? The working theory: This winter was dry and warm, so there's less vegetation around for the bugs to eat. But the winter before saw a lot more precipitation than usual, so with plenty of food there were a lot of extra little bugs born. Ah-Ha! Global Worming! I knew it would come up sooner or later. People in rural Sacramento County can look forward to seeing their "friends" around for as long as another month. Posted by: Deacon Blues 2012-06-14 |
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