Oregon ranchers plead for help with new crisis: grasshopper ‘plague’ - OregonLive

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VALE — If the drought wasn’t bad enough by itself, it is bringing a plague of grasshoppers to ranches in the southern part of Malheur County, stripping whatever grass and other green vegetation managed to grow in this low water year.

Three residents from the Jordan Valley and Arock areas appeared before the Malheur County government on Wednesday to request the county work with federal agencies to implement programs to control the grasshoppers, which they said are devastating crops, pastures and grazing allotments.

Rancher Bob Skinner said there already are spray efforts being conducted in the Burns area, up around Cambridge and in Montana, noting how widespread the problem has become.

Joining him at the court, which is the board of county commissioners, were Diana Fillmore, also of Jordan Valley and Robbin Eiguren, of Arock.

“We’re looking at spending several hundred to spray because we just don’t know what to do,” Fillmore told the commissioners and judge.

She said there is so much damage, they don’t know if they’ll get a second cutting of hay.

“We are all really worried,” Fillmore said, adding that they were looking at possibly having to sell a bunch of cows due to lack of available feed.

“Their just getting to us,” Skinner said, of the grasshoppers.

Because of the drought, which has dried out grass on rangeland, the grasshoppers are moving into the irrigated crops and some of them are so small a person might not see them until they are right on them.

“It’s a crisis,” he said.

The grasshoppers kill the alfalfa plants, he said.

Eiguren said the grasshoppers were all over her house, flowers and garden.

“I feel like it’s a plague,” she said.

Surveys conducted from June 21-27 by Bill Burns, Ontario, Todd Adams, of Hermiston, and Adrian Mendez — all with Oregon Department of Agriculture — found just a few problem areas at that time, surveying 148 sites in Malheur, Crook and Klamath counties.

“Central Malheur County is an area that will warrant more attention. Grasshopper populations of these densities will reduce the already limited forage in this drought year,” the report said.

The survey was still focused on nymphals, as adult surveys would be done after July 4.

The comment for Malheur County was “Looks like Malheur County is going to get its grass mowed by grasshoppers.”

Fillmore said the grasshoppers are eating away the grasses cattle feed on out on the range.

When Skinner asked what the definition of a vector was and whether grasshoppers could be fought with money from that department, the response was that a vector is a “disease carrying object,” such as a mosquito.

Skinner said the county was being asked to try and get federal control programs in Malheur County. No decision was made at the meeting.

Leslie Thompson contributed to this article.

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Oregon ranchers plead for help with new crisis: grasshopper ‘plague’ - OregonLive
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