By Kate Torpie, Garden Guides Contributor
About Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers are very hard to control. They can range in color from
greenish to yellow-brown. They are often confused with katydids and
crickets, which belong to the same family. There can be more than
50 species of grasshopper living within the same state. Most will
eat grasses, but some prefer leafy vegetable plants,YOUR leafy
vegetable plants. Most spend the winter in an egg pod about three
inches underground. In late spring, a nymph emerges. It begins to
eat. Other than the fact that it cannot fly, it looks a lot like
the adult grasshopper. After about two months, they are able to
reproduce.
Prevention and Control
The best control is preventative. You cannot control a population
if they begin a migration into your garden. Insecticides will not
work. You need to keep them out. One way is to plant a mixture of
grass and wildflowers outside of your garden, before they "hop the
fence" to make it in. This will give them something to feed on.
Another is to work with neighbors to uncover eggs by tilling the
soil. When laid, the eggs are covered with a foamy substance. If
you cannot find this, look for areas that are uncultivated and dry.
These are the types of areas grasshoppers choose.
Affected Plants
Wide range of plants and trees.
Damage
Most species of grasshoppers will feed on the foliage of just about
any plant; some even lay eggs inside plant tissue; they can eat
tremendous amounts of foliage or crops. Grasshoppers are often
confused with locusts. They do not "swarm" like locusts, but some
species do have a population explosion every 11 to 20 years.
Predators
Blister and ground beetles, bluebirds, crows, mockingbirds,
horse-hair worm (parasitizes and kills hoppers), spiders, chickens,
ducks, cats, snakes, toads and many more.
Natural Insecticides
Diatomaceous earth, and Neem oil can be used as a barrier, but most
will not die when sprayed with insecticides.
Other Methods of Control
* Place a metal screen over your plants.
* Plant horehound, cilantro, and calendula plants; or spray garlic
oil on the plants you already have. All repel grasshoppers.
* Nosema locustae is a parasite which can be purchased at a garden
center. It is very effective in killing entire populations.
* Fill a jar halfway with molasses and bury it to soil level. Empty
it as needed.
