shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com August 1, 2017 • Page 7 Grasshopper Populations Increasing In Central And Southeast SD Written collaboratively by Adam Varenhorst, PatrickWagner, and Amanda Bachmann SDSU Extension We have recently been observing certain areas of South Dakota that are experiencing high grasshopper population densities. The first area where grasshoppers were observed that exceeded the thresholds of 21-40 grasshoppers per square yard in field margins and 8-14 grasshoppers per square yard within the fields was near Fort Thompson. The second area where thresholds are being reached was near Beresford. Although these populations were not being managed at the time, it is possible that management will be necessary. Much of South Dakota is experiencing drought. These conditions cause grass in field margins and other areas to become less attractive to grasshoppers, which causes them to search for alternative food sources. In turn, grasshopper populations often show up in the edges of fields where they can cause severe defoliation to crops. Dry conditions also favor grasshoppers because the naturally occurring pathogens that reduce their populations often require warm and humid conditions. Scouting & Management Grasshoppers can be scouted using visual searches for the insects or their defoliation, or sweep nets. Visual searches can prove difficult as grasshoppers move rapidly within Why Are Those Big, Scary Wasps Digging In My Yard? Written collaboratively by Amanda Bachmann, Patrick Wagner, and Adam Varenhorst SDSU Extension Over the past couple of weeks, we have received reports of large, menacing wasps appearing in residential yards and gardens. The wasps in question are commonly referred to as cicada killers (Sphecius speciosus). These wasps become active at approximately the same time as cicadas, which are used as a food source for the larvae of cicada killer wasps. In South Dakota, these wasps are now active and attracting a lot of attention due to their large size and somewhat terrifying appearance. Identification The adult wasps range in size from 1.5 to 2 inches in length. Cicada killer adults will have a reddish-brown thorax (area directly behind the head) and black abdomen with yellow banded markings (Figure 1). These wasps are often observed hovering close to the ground near mounds of excavated soil. The mounds are created when the female cicada killer wasps dig tunnels in areas of bare, sandy soil to create nesting habitat. These wasps are often seen in groups near garages, patios, sidewalks, retaining walls, and in playgrounds where dry, bare soil is readily available. Lifecycle Cicada killers are solitary wasps, which means one female will dig and provision her eggs alone (Figure 2). However, there are often multiple wasps using the same general area of suitable habitat in a yard. The female cicada killers hunt cicadas or other large insects near their selected nesting site. Once prey is caught, the wasp paralyzes it using her stinger and carries it back to her nest. She will then lay an egg on the prey and burry it. When the egg hatches, the larva will consume the prey, spin a cocoon, and overwinter in the soil. Warranting suitable environmental conditions, new adult cicada killer wasps will emerge from the area during the following year. No Need to Manage We receive many questions regarding the management of cicada killer wasps. For the most part, these questions arise because of their size and habit of nesting close to areas of human activity. Although they do cause minor disturbances in lawns and gardens, these wasps are benign. Cicada killer wasps may look deadly, but in reality, they are rarely aggressive towards humans or pets. Male cicada killers can be territorial. They are sometimes observed patrolling an area and may buzz around passing people or pets. Male cicada killers may appear threatening, but they lack a stinger and are thus incapable of inflicting a painful sting. If cicada killers are nesting in an undesirable location, the long-term solution is to amend the habitat in that area. As long as an area remains bare, with loose or sandy soil, it has an increased chance of being utilized by subsequent generations of cicada killer wasps. “WHEN I WAS LOOKING FOR A JOB, I PUT THE CLASSIFIEDS TO WORK!” Our Help Wanted Listings Have Hundreds Of Opportunities For You... • Full-Time • Part-Time • Permanent • Temporary crops. The same grasshoppers may be recounted during the search, leading to inaccurate counts. Another method of scouting in field crops is by estimating the percentage of defoliation on leaves. Keep in mind that defoliation thresholds are crop specific. The easiest scouting method is to use a sweep net. For this method, three pendulum sweeps should be conducted in five areas within the field, and the number of grasshoppers present in each set of swings should be determined. For information on grasshopper management in crops, please refer to the current editions of the South Dakota Pest Management Guides for Soybean and Corn. If you read this you know... advertising pays! No Better Place To Live And Work By Gov. Dennis Daugaard: When people around the country think about South Dakota, the first image that comes to mind is probably Mount Rushmore. Though we’re proud to be the home of Gutzon Borglum’s masterpiece, the truth is that we are much more than the stone-carved presidential tribute. South Dakota is a great place to live and work. First, we have a very low unemployment rate at 3 percent, compared to the national rate of 4.4 percent. We are a state of hard workers and productivity of our workers is high. 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