![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/socast-superdesk/media/20210811200820/cf250316-3c6d-4c97-8e26-bc2e82173218.jpg)
Booming grasshopper populations destroying already beleaguered Prairie crops
LETHBRIDGE, AB — A pattern of dry, hot weather across the Prairies over the past few years has resulted in a grasshopper infestation of epic proportions, with some experts saying the nuisance is negatively affecting every part of the agriculture industry.
For several weeks, communities and rural areas across southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have been reporting a higher than usual number of grasshoppers inhabiting grassy areas and feasting on crops — something that hasn’t been seen since the early 2000s.
In Manitoba, Brenna Mahoney says she witnessed what she can only describe as a “biblical” number of grasshoppers while visiting a community in the southwestern part of the province late last month.
“The grasshoppers seem to be the biggest story this year,” said Todd Lewis, president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan.