NDA to host public meetings Feb. 24-27 to discuss Mormon cricket and grasshopper infestation control on public land in Nevada

The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA), in cooperation with United States Department of Agriculture Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program, will conduct a series of public meetings to discuss proposed Mormon cricket and grasshopper population management on public lands.

“As part of our agreement with PPQ, we survey grasshopper and Mormon cricket populations to determine what areas to treat and what time frame will provide the most effective treatment,” State Entomologist Jeff Knight said. “With the warmer temperatures in northern Nevada recently, we may see numbers earlier this year.”

The NDA and PPQ will treat public land areas with the goal of protecting crops and public safety. Meetings will be held throughout the state to discuss possible management strategies. Citizen roles and how to report and manage infestations on private property will also be discussed.

“The most important thing citizens can do is report infestations to the NDA Entomology Lab,” Knight said. “The meetings will also discuss private property treatment and prevention methods residents can use.”

The meetings will take place at the following times and locations:

The Nevada Department of Agriculture’s mission is to preserve, protect and promote Nevada’s agriculture. The department has 150 dedicated employees providing services in its five divisions, Administration, Animal Industry, Consumer Equitability, Food and Nutrition, and Plant Industry. The department’s $232 million budget facilitates regulatory and administrative work in agriculture and food manufacturing industries, protecting public and environmental health and worker safety, and providing food distribution and oversight for the United States Department of Agriculture’s school and community nutrition programs.