APHIS (a U.S. Government agency) routinely broadcasts insecticides across millions of acres of the Western U.S., in an attempt to control populations of grasshoppers. Climate change (warmer winters, drier summers) has led to an increase of grasshoppers over the last decade, and APHIS has tried to keep pace. https://acis.cals.arizona.edu/community-ipm/home-and-school-ipm-newsletters/ipm-newsletter-view/ipm-newsletters/2023/06/07/grasshoppers
Unfortunately, broad-scape application of pesticides harms numerous other animals (and people).
A recent attempt to use airplanes to spray pesticides over the Rio Chama watershed in New Mexico was protested and eventually cancelled: https://www.xerces.org/blog/how-advocates-stopped-aerial-insecticide-spray-on-25000-acres-of-new-mexico-natural-areas
More Info:
Overview of Program: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/grasshopper-mormon-cricket/CT_Grasshopper_Mormon_Cricket
"Environmental Documents" opens a page with state-specific and site-specific Environmental Assessments. This provides more info about areas in each state that have been treated.
In general, areas that show in red on aerial surveys will be treated in the following year.
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| From: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/grasshopper/downloads/hazard.pdf |
Annual grasshopper density surveys: https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/sidney-mt/northern-plains-agricultural-research-laboratory/pest-management-research/pmru-docs/grasshoppers-their-biology-identification-and-management/outbreak-and-survey-info/outbreak-and-survey-info/
APHIS has a large number of pest species with control programs: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/ea
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