ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) There's an explosion of the grasshopper population in many parts of Albuquerque, which isn't dangerous but is at least a nuisance because of damage they can cause to plants. The Albuquerque Journal reports that the Bernalillo County Cooperative Extension Service, nurseries and health officials are being called by people asking what they can do about the hoppers.
Rain last fall created favorable conditions for grasshoppers to lay eggs, and many survived until the spring because of mild winter weather. Cooperative Extension Service horticulture agent Cheryl Kent says grasshoppers won't kill trees or shrubs but that people concerned about garden plants can cover them to keep the grasshoppers out.
Biological agents and chemical insecticides are another approach, but some can be toxic to other insects and even cats and fish.
