Pasture-Forage

Crickets Galore! Why the Mass Accumulation Isn't That Weird After All

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 17:58:19 GMT

If you’re seeing more crickets than normal this year, don’t worry. Experts say cricket swarms — thousands of field crickets assembling in one location — may be annoying, but they pass with time.

Wizzie Brown, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service integrated pest management specialist, says the annual phenomenon can be startling, but it’s nothing to fear and only temporary.

“These swarms happen every late summer and fall to some degree,” she said in a release . “The crickets don’t sting or bite, so they’re not doing anything other than being annoying, especially if a male gets in your house and is chirping to attract females.”

Cricket Coincidence
When and where cricket swarms pop up are random, Brown adds. One year you may see incredibly high cricket numbers and the next two years you don’t. The cause of these mass accumulations of field crickets isn’t so random, however.

The cricket cycle is spurred on by cool fronts, because crickets don’t like heat. They hatch in early spring, reach adulthood in three months and, by the heat of summer, are looking for places to stay cool, she explains.

They forage on dead insects and vegetation at night and keep a relatively low profile during the heat of the day. Cool fronts in the waning weeks of summer and early fall change that, Brown says.

They also like to swarm to the light. Buildings with bright, dusk-to-dawn lighting attract them.

“You’ll notice they tend to congregate around the front doors of businesses — at gas stations, car dealerships and other businesses and locations that have highly luminous lighting that is on all night,” Brown says. “If you’ve noticed crickets around your house, it’s probably in relation to lighting.”

Seasonal Swarms
If the numbers of crickets seem outlandish, Brown notes there can be multiple generations of crickets in a year, especially in warmer regions. Warm winters can also contribute to the number of cricket generations per year.

Like most insects, field crickets’ numbers rise, peak and fall seasonally. The window for crickets to gather in mass typically lasts four to six weeks before their numbers begin to decline, she says.

Turning off unnecessary lights can reduce the chance crickets will swarm around your home or business. There are also specialty bulbs that are less attractive to insects.

“Attracting crickets can lead to them getting inside structures and homes, especially with poor sealing around doors and windows,” Brown says. “A bunch of dead crickets can be a stinky mess, so it’s smart to leave the lights off as much as possible as that summer-to-fall transition happens.”

USDA Proposes New Rule to Clarify Unfair Practices in Livestock and Meat Industries

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 18:35:45 GMT

On June 25, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced new action to support the Biden-Harris Administration’s plan for a fairer, more competitive, and more resilient meat and poultry supply chain. USDA’s Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets proposed rule would tackle longstanding challenges around interpretations of unfairness and competitive injury for the livestock, meat, and poultry sectors. This will support farmers and growers, and continues President Biden’s work to lower food costs for consumers.

Secretary Vilsack made the announcement during an event at the Center for American Progress showcasing the Administration’s agenda to create more affordable and competitive agricultural markets. The event highlighted USDA’s wide-ranging progress to enhance the Department’s ability to enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act, including previous rulemaking and an enforcement partnership with the Department of Justice. The event also provided a look back at USDA’s successful Investing in America Agenda efforts to enhance independent meat and poultry and other diversified food processing capacity; expand domestic, innovative fertilizer production; create a fairer market for seeds and other agricultural inputs; and support more robust and resilient supply chains. USDA also released a fact sheet highlighting its actions under the Biden-Harris Administration to spur competition in the agriculture sector.

“Entrenched market power and the abuses that flow from it remain an obstacle to achieving lower prices for consumers and fairer practices for producers,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Today’s proposed rule stands for clear, transparent standards so that markets function fairly and competitively for consumers and producers alike. With our whole-of-government approach to competition and resiliency, the Biden-Harris Administration is fighting every day to lower costs for American families and give farmers a fairer shake.”

The proposed rule will better protect farmers, ranchers, and other covered market participants by making clearer how prohibitions on unfair practices will be enforced under the Packers and Stockyards Act. Specifically, the rule provides clearer tests and frameworks around unfair practices that harm market participants individually and unfair practices that harm markets overall. If finalized, this rule would better enable USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service to carry out its legal obligation to ensure fair and competitive national livestock, meat, and poultry markets and ensure livestock producers and poultry growers can secure the full value for their products and services.

“Farmers, ranchers, consumers, and smaller processors all depend upon the Packers & Stockyards Act to protect them from bad actors in the marketplace,” said USDA’s Senior Advisor for Fair and Competitive Markets Andy Green. “It’s time to provide the regulatory clarity and simplicity needed to put an end to unfair conduct that harms the market or that harms market participants.”

The proposal is based on USDA’s extensive administrative case law and builds off of precedent established under other unfair practices laws. The proposal follows well-understood approaches to unfair practices and unfair methods of competition.

The proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register for public comment. Upon publication, the public can submit comments at Regulations.gov for 60 days. All comments submitted will be considered as USDA develops a final rule. The final rule will be published in the Federal Register.

The publication of this proposed rule is part of a suite of USDA regulatory actions under the Packers and Stockyards Act to enhance transparency, stop discrimination, and support market fairness in the livestock and poultry industries. Previous actions include the Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems proposed rule and the Transparency in Poultry Grower Contracting and Tournaments and Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity under the Packers and Stockyards Act final rules.

Decision Tool Helps Livestock Producers with Disaster Assistance

Wed, 29 May 2024 20:51:20 GMT

When faced with the challenges of losing livestock to a natural disaster, producers have a new resource developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in partnership with FarmRaise, to help access available support.

This online Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) guides producers through the process to see if they qualify for assistance. This decision tool launched on May 28 as part of a broader disaster assistance program educational module. It expands the library of online FSA disaster and farm loan program resources and decision aids available to agricultural producers on the FarmRaise FSA educational hub. The Decision Tool is a resource only and is not an application for benefits or a determination of eligibility.

“The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program is our most flexible tool for dealing with natural disasters and other qualifying losses. As we continue to enhance this critical program, having the right tool to streamline application processes can expedite assistance,” FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux says. “FarmRaise uses feedback from cooperators and producers to develop the tools they request to more easily navigate our programs, allowing them to maximize assistance available through FSA’s extensive program portfolio. This tool is the next iteration of this important work.” 

ELAP Fact Sheet

The FarmRaise educational hub provides videos, tools and interactive resources that enable USDA cooperators and agricultural producers to learn about and access major FSA programs.   

The ELAP Decision Tool helps with the following:
• Explains qualified natural disasters including drought, blizzards, disease, water shortages and wildfires, and more.
• Offers tips for record-keeping, loss documentation requirements and tracking steps needed before applying for program benefits.
• Creates a document generated by the ELAP Decision Tool to be used to support the ELAP application process. Producers will need to complete and submit the ELAP Application to their local FSA county office.

These categories of livestock losses are covered by ELAP.
• Grazing losses that are not due to drought or wildfires on federally managed lands
• Livestock feed losses caused by eligible loss condition that result in purchased or mechanically harvested feed being destroyed, additional feed purchased above normal, and additional cost of feed delivery
• Losses resulting from the additional cost of transporting water to livestock due to an eligible drought
• Losses resulting from above normal costs of hauling feed to livestock due to an eligible drought
• Losses resulting from above normal costs of hauling livestock to forage or other feeding location and back due to an eligible drought
• Losses resulting from the additional cost associated with gathering livestock for treatment and inspection related to cattle tick fever

Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides benefits to livestock producers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather or by attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the Federal Government.

LIP Fact Sheet

(Farm Journal)

Livestock that may qualify for compensation through Livestock Indemnity Program

Lawsuit Alleges Rancher, John Deere Combine Caused Wildfire

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:50:34 GMT

A lawsuit filed in Oregon’s Wasco County Circuit Court claims the August 2017 wildfire that burned 68,000 acres was caused by a rancher and John Deere, the manufacturer of a combine that sparked the blaze.

The suit was filed by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs who say the wildfire burned tens of thousands of acres on their reservation and caused hundreds of evacuations. The tribe alleges Jamie Wisenbaker, who owns a ranch just north of the tribal lands in Wasco County, allowed his brother Larry to operate a combine on his property in August 2017 despite a lack of experience or training.

The combine began emitting sparks from a rock lodged in the header, according to The Oregonian , but Larry Wisenbaker continued to drive the machine, the lawsuit alleges. The sparks eventually set the field ablaze and developed into the Nena Springs fire, according to the suit. It burned for more than two weeks.

The suit alleges the fire caused “significant damage’ throughout the reservation, including “burnt forest and land, damaged fencing, deterioration of the soil and watershed, range and vegetation damage, damage to cultural resources (and) damage to fish and wildlife and their habitat.”

The tribe is seeking $12.25 million in economic damages from lost timber resources.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal determined the cause of the fire was accidental, “probably caused by the use of a combine for routine harvesting operations” and exacerbated by 100-degree temperatures.

The tribe also named John Deere, which manufactured the combine harvester, in the lawsuit, claiming the company made faulty equipment. Court records show the allegations are that John Deere should have designed a machine “capable of encountering naturally occurring debris without causing mechanical issues, sparks, or fires,” with safety features such as an automatic shut-off switch or operator warning alert.

Related stories:

Oregon Farmers Not Liable While Fighting Wildfires

BLM Now Hopes Hammond’s Cattle Can Reduce Wildfire Risk

Reducing the Risks Associated with Winter Manure Application

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:59:52 GMT

By: Gerald May and Shelby Bollwhan, Michigan State University Extension

Any time commercial fertilizer or manure is broadcast onto farm fields, lawns or recreational turf, there is a small percentage of risk that the nutrients could be captured in precipitation runoff and eventually end up in a nearby ditch, stream or other surface water. It is the responsibility of home owners, turf grass managers and farmers to follow best management practices (BMPs) developed to limit runoff and keep plant nutrients out of surface water and in the rootzone for crop uptake.

With last fall’s late harvest combined with the early onset of cold winter weather, many livestock producers are faced with the need to haul manure this winter. With frozen soil and the potential for snow build up followed by a spring thaw, winter spreading of manure or any other crop amendment carries with it a greater degree of risk and potential for runoff into surface waters. As a result of this increased risk with winter spreading, many within both agriculture and environmental groups have begun to question the practice. Others continue to research methods of reducing the risk associated with winter spreading and maintain that manure application option.
Listed below are some of the risk factors and management practices Michigan State University Extension recommends considering when selecting fields for winter manure application.

Residue cover: Residue cover has three main functions. First, residue helps hold things in place, including soil particles and manure nutrients. Second, residue will slow down runoff reducing the soil particles and manure the runoff picks up. Finally, residue will act as a filter by capturing manure and soil suspended in runoff before they reach surface water. The Michigan Right to Farm Generally Accepted Agriculture Management Practices for Manure Management and Utilization recommend conservation practices including vegetative buffers between surface waters and fields used for winter manure applications. It is preferable if the entire field has some type of residue cover, including undisturbed corn stalks, wheat stubble or established hay.

Field slope: Sloping fields increase manure application risk, the greater the slope the higher the risk. According to the Manure GAAMPs, liquid manure should not be winter applied on fields with greater than 3 percent slope and solid manure should not be winter spread on fields with more than 6 percent slope. Manure should not be allowed to runoff on to the adjoining owner’s property. Avoid areas that slope toward and pond in neighboring fields, no matter what the slope.

Setbacks: According to the GAAMPs, manure should not be applied within 150 feet of any surface water unless incorporated within 48 hours of application, which is not practical on frozen, snow covered fields. Catch basins, grass waterways and any area water collects and flows toward surface water are also high risk areas. Maintain the 150 foot setback from those areas as well. Preferably the setback should be growing established vegetation or covered with undisturbed crop residue.

Weather forecast: Research has shown that nutrient loss increases if manure is winter applied 5 to 7 days prior to a runoff event. Monitor weather forecasts and avoid manure applications if a warm up in temperature or rain is predicted for the immediate future. Nutrient losses are reduced by a larger window of time between the application of manure to snow covered, frozen fields and a snow melt, winter runoff event.

Timing of manure application: Apply manure early in the winter. Avoid spreading in late February early March when there are greater odds of a large sudden snowmelt and/or rainfall event. Or, if manure must be spread throughout the winter, choose fields with a higher degree of risk early in the winter saving low risk fields for later in the winter and early spring.

Application rate: Follow the normal farm manure application rates based on the nutrients in the manure and the needs of the crop to be grown. Do not exceed the nitrogen (N) needs of the intended crop.

There are legitimate reasons for winter manure application. From delayed field work in the fall resulting in farmers needing to empty manure storages in the winter to farms with bedded housing and depending on daily hauling, there will be times when manure must be applied in winter months. Livestock farmers should recognize the associated environmental risks with winter spreading. Individually evaluating each field and utilizing the practices listed above helps reduce those risks.

Getting a Head Start on the New Year

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 03:25:57 GMT

By: Thomas Cobb, Livestock & Dairy Extension Agent, North Carolina Cooperative Extension

As the heart of winter approaches, most producers have brought the equipment into the shop and are working on maintenance and repair. Already, most are busy preparing for spring and getting ready for, hopefully, what will be a very productive growing season. So what are some things that we should be thinking about to help make ourselves more productive and prepared for the upcoming year?

Soil
Soil is the lifeline of all agricultural crops. Whether you raise corn, soybeans, hay, or a variety of different crops, making sure that your soil nutrients are adequate is extremely important. Taking a soil test this will give you the management tools that can help you accurately measure the nutrients particular to your situation.

Hay
Feeding hay is something that has become more of an art throughout the years. There are several things to consider when deciding hay feeding situations. What are the nutrient requirements for the animals? Part of livestock management is making sure that the feed available is meeting the nutrient requirements for the goal that we want those particular animals to accomplish.

So, the question is: How does hay fit into that feeding management? For example, a brood cow is going to be mostly consuming a forage diet. However, the nutrient requirements can vary depending on the situation. Is she nursing? What trimester of pregnancy is she in?

All of these factors can change what her requirements are. So, our hay needs to be meeting those requirements. Otherwise, other supplements may have to be used. However, an animal that is being supplemented with something like a grain or silage ration, the nutrient requirements in the hay that they are fed may not have to be as high, due to the supplementation.

Therefore, to accurately meet the requirement, forage analysis needs to be done so it can be determined what the nutrient value of the hay is. Where should hay be fed? Where hay is fed is a management decision that should be made on what best suits the individual. There are different options:

Feeding hay in round bale feeders in a lot that has been designated as a sacrifice area.Sacrifice areas tend to be designated areas that have poor soil fertility and forage production. Some concerns with this could be situations during spring that can lead to hoof and leg problems and concentrated animals that can spread respiratory diseases more easily.
Feeding hay in round bale feeders on pasture. This can be effective as long as it is properly managed. If feeders are not moved often enough, the concentration of animals can damage pasture. The feeders should be moved often and be placed in areas that have adequate ground cover and are not wet and saturated.

Crops
This time of year, preparation for crops is making sure that the equipment is serviced and ready for the upcoming season. This is a good time to calibrate sprayers, clean the combines, grease those fittings that might have gotten neglected during the rush of harvest, clean the filters, change the oil, and do all of the routine maintenance that keeps things running as smoothly as possible.

Also, this is a good time to start looking at the calendar. Go ahead and evaluate the varieties that you are going to use, and see what the recommended planting dates are. Mark that on your calendar. Of course, everyone knows that Mother Nature may not have the same idea, and those dates are probably going to change. But, it will help to keep things organized, so that when it is time to get to work, things will be ready and prepared.

This is also a good time to look at past rotations and think about the future. Crop rotation is vital to management of weeds and pests. So, look at those last harvest records, and see what has been planted and what may need to be switched. If a field has been in corn for two years, you may need to start thinking about a legume to help fixate some nitrogen back into that soil. Sometimes, the simple things are the ones that are forgotten.

Livestock
Now is the time to evaluate situations and look at trying to create a management schedule. Breeding is something that producers should be thinking about. You should set target dates of when calving, kidding, lambing, farrowing, etc. will begin and end. By doing this, we can allow ourselves the opportunity to think about the breeding dates, how we going to breed this year, and how we are going to use the herd bull or synchronize our animals. If you are going to AI, you need to be thinking about what sire will best fit your herd, and make sure that there is semen available.

Disease management and vaccinations should be evaluated. A vaccination program should be established so that animals are treated in a manner that will allow the best defense. Deworming, pinkeye, and phenomena are examples of some decisions that might have to be made. Also, if any livestock are going to be going to shows this season, regulations and requirements need to be evaluated, so that administration of the right treatment can correlate with the timeline of the shows.

Whether dealing with livestock, crops, hay, soil test, or just simple maintenance of equipment, this is the time of year to evaluate your management goals and strategies, so that you can be better prepared when the time comes. By doing this, it will allow for operations to be more efficient and can help things from being neglected
once the busy season is upon us.

Farmer Wins Case After Losing $2.2 Million of Chickens to Bald Eagles

Fri, 14 Sep 2018 00:12:00 GMT

A farmer in Georgia who has lost an estimated $2.2 million worth of pasture-raised chickens to bald eagle attacks has won a restitution case as determined by a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The decision was handed down by USDA’s National Appeals Division (NAD) of the Farm Service Administration (FSA) following years of dispute between White Oak Pastures and FSA .

White Oak Pastures in southeast Georgia has lost nearly 160,000 chickens via bald eagles in the past few years after the farm expanded its pasture-based, organic chicken business in 2010.

Will Harris, owner of the farm, had filed claims with FSA seeking compensation for chickens lost to the bald eagles through the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). The ruling by NAD determined that FSA had not followed its own rules in regards to compensating White Oak Pastures’ claims.

“The ruling is a win not just for us – but for all small farms everywhere. At White Oak Pastures, we are committed to animal welfare, regenerative farming and empowering and supporting our local economy,” says Harris, a fifth-generation livestock producer. “To survive at a time when conventional producers dominate the market, independent ranchers rely on equitable treatment by laws often written for big agricultural operations.”

When White Oak Pastures’ poultry operation grew to approximately 100,000 chickens, turkeys, guinea hens and ducks in open pastures in 2012, it was not long before bald eagles began roosting in trees around the property. The numbers of the federally protected bald eagles reached about 80 birds and they were preying on up to 30% of the farm’s chickens.

Eagles typically arrive in October and leave in March, although Harris says a few remain throughout the year.

During the winter months, the eagles kill more than 100 chickens every day and thousands of chickens per month. They feed from just before daybreak through mid-morning, then nap until mid-afternoon in the trees, and return to feed again until dusk.

Harris obtained a non-lethal permit to scare away the raptor population (killing a bald eagle carries a $100,000 fine and potential incarceration), but after cannons, flares, sparklers, carwash scarecrows, netting, tarps and 15 dogs, nothing has worked long term.

With the deterrents making little difference in the eagles preying on chickens, White Oak Pastures approached the FSA regarding the poultry losses and applied for LIP benefits.

Under LIP regulations, losses to federally protected species such as wolves and avian predators (including eagles and hawks) are eligible for benefits when “livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality.”

Harris documented his poultry losses, exceeding $125,000 in 2015 and again in 2016. When he shared his story with Farm Journal in 2017 , Harris expected his losses to be higher that year. LIP pays up to 75% market value per dead animal, subject to reduction for natural mortality rates, with total indemnity capped at $125,000 per year.

After filing LIP claims with FSA, Harris’ requests was denied in 2017. FSA claimed that the farm failed to prove its livestock losses occurred as a direct result of avian attacks, despite intensive documentation, confirmation from biologists, and video and photographic evidence of the attacks.

An appeal by White Oak Pasture of FSA’s decision was filed with NAD. Following several appeals by both FSA and the farm, NAD officially ruled in White Oak Pastures’ favor on Aug. 21. The ruling determined that FSA’s decision was “erroneous” and that the agency’s request for proof was inconsistent with program regulations.

“We are extremely grateful that the National Appeals Division ruled in our favor and recognized our right to fair compensation for our losses,” Harris says. “We are proud to be a working farm, committed to doing what is right for the land and our animals, and appreciate the recognition that the FSA acted improperly when it denied our claims.”

Under the NAD ruling FSA has been ordered to work with White Oak Pastures to resolve the claims and issue a new decision.

In addition to raising poultry, the 3,200-acre farm also raises beef cattle, goats, sheep and hogs on the organic, pasture-based property.

Note: This story includes additional reporting from Chris Bennett who covered the issue in an interview with Harris during 2017 for a story called “ Bald Eagles a Farmer’s Nightmare ”