During 1944 one of the worst and most widespread grasshopper outbreaks in the history of British Columbia was in progress. From the Bulkley and Nechako Valleys south through the cattle ranges of the Chilcotin, and over the whole of the southern interior and the Kootenays, grasshoppers were present in outbreak numbers. In some areas they had been more numerous in 1943 and were on the decline, while in other sections they were still on the increase, but everywhere they were present in damaging numbers.