Grasshopper and locust control with poisoned baits: a renaissance of the old strategy?

Insecticidal baits have been used to control grasshoppers and locusts since the 1880s. After the peak in the 1940s-1950s, they were increasingly replaced by more economical dusts and sprays. Nowadays, baits are used on a regular basis in North America to control rangeland grasshoppers and Mormon crickets. A typical bait formulation consists of wheat bran impregnated with carbaryl. Although in general, bait applications produce less consistent efficacy than sprays, they have certain environmental advantages. Baits are better targeted to acridid pests, which reduces their negative impact on non-target organisms and makes them an attractive management option for ecologically sensitive areas. On a small scale, baits are applied by farmers using ground equipment to create crop protection barriers. Large-scale applications are done from aircraft equipped with bait spreaders. Further improvements of bait methodology lie in the area of using new active ingredients, increasing bait palatability by adding attractants, and optimizing spreading.