TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — If you have noticed an increasing amount of grasshoppers jumping around outside— you are not alone. After a wet winter, grasshoppers have invaded Southern Arizona.
Even though Arizona’s monsoon season doesn’t officially start until June 15, just about 8 days away. The moisture that we have been seeing here in the desert through the winter and spring months has caused an increasing amount of grasshoppers to come out in swarms.
Local entomologists say the pallid-winged grasshopper is the most common kind we are seeing here at home, but grasshoppers aren’t technically even a bug, they are called orthopteras.
“I would say don’t spray, please don't spray pesticides, it doesn't help at all. Just wait it out, let them do their little thing, hangout for a few weeks and then they'll be gone," said Shakunthala Nair, Entomologist.
As we approach the warmer and drier months, grasshoppers don’t have much vegetation to feed off of and will eventually leave by mid-June. Grasshoppers are also harmless to us humans and won’t bite, instead they eat plants
“They have chewing mouth parts, they bite little chunks of plant tissue. That's how they feed, they don’t pierce or suck blood or anything like that. They’ll move on," said Nair.
Nair explains that grasshoppers aren’t dangerous and won’t cause any damage. They only live about five days and don’t last well in the heat.
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Brooke Chau is a reporter for KGUN 9. She was a part of Fresno State's newscast, Fresno State Focus and interned at KFSN-ABC30 in Fresno, CA before coming to KGUN 9. Share your story ideas and important issues with Brooke by emailing brooke.chau@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
