16 January 2006

Invasion of the wingless grasshoppers

| Kerces
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Grasshoppers are invading Canberra! At least, that’s what the Canberra Times is telling me since I’m not around to witness it for myself.

Entomologist David Hunter says this year is just a taste of things to come and the grasshoppers will back for much longer — from November to February — and in stronger forces next year.

And with more grasshoppers will come more damage, he warns.

“This season we will have them for six weeks, but next spring they will be present from November, and that is a substantial part of the season where people are trying to grow vegetables and plants,” he said.

“On any given day, grasshoppers may not do that much damage, but if they are around for two or three months, then we have a significant problem.”

The insects in question are apparently Tablelands Wingless Grasshopper, and there is a committee for them, though exactly what they do apart from talk to the media I’m not sure.

Enjoy your fried grasshoppers folks!

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Absent Diane9:04 am 17 Jan 06

Im pretty sure I have a dead (now) funnel web spider in my front yard….

We’ll all be rooned

They are shocking. And the article said the more there are, the more eggs they will lay and there will be far more of them next year. We have been getting them inside the house, and inside my building at work.

who cares
after being 1/2 drained by a number of thirsty mozzies recently I was recently beset by biting flies
no not horseflies or sand flies, normal little houseflies with friggin FANGS, BITING me
bastard biting flies, just what summer needs. Praps its just me, been a bit sensitive after losing all that blood to the mozzies

Well the rain’s now arrived – so bring on the fungus

the end times is upon us i tells ya – repent repent…

And there I was thinking I was imagining things. I was in a couple of parks on the weekend, and it looked like a friggin’ plague to me . . .

I only hope they’re not keeping Sam awake at night!

Thumper, at Wells Station on Sunday surely you noticed the bazillion grasshoppers around your feet as you played backyard cricket ?

Seemed more than usual for me, although they may have moved on since I only played in the first innings, and you the second…

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