Rainfall through the spring and early weeks of summer may be responsible for keeping grasshopper numbers down, says a Texas AgriLife Extension specialist.

Lower numbers are not unexpected, says Extension entomologist Allen Knutson, Dallas.

“Our expectations this year were that grasshopper numbers would be lower because during heavy rains and higher humidity, grasshoppers are more likely to die from fungal diseases, “said Dr. Allen Knutson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist, Dallas. “We’re getting a few reports of grasshoppers, but overall the numbers are much less than in previous years.”

Some areas have reported higher grasshopper populations but statewide the numbers are lower.

Texas AgriLife Extension media specialist Robert Burns has the story in his weekly crop and weather update.