Carrie I sure could use that this year. I have never seen so many in my entire life. They don't bother me in general but they sure make a mess of the gardens and I saw some of them today doing whooppee right there on my plants. I mean... Get a room will ya??!! Sprayed them with the hose and they still hung on for dear life.

Hope someone chimes in with a yes or no on your query.

Mine hate water - I've drowned a few with no remorse. How did I do that? I am a fast runner - I was watering, one jumped and started to away (mine only fly for about 12 seconds) and I take off with the hose and spray until they drop.

They only happens with very good luck (and energy on my part)
but I'd like to set a "trap" and let them fall in and die -

Yeah, no remorse here,as I said.

I never see the green ones, only the light brown ones that fly - which is so annoying.

I once read that if you put a mirror against where they usually hang out - with a soapy dish below, they are attracted to the mirror, hit their heads and drown. Haven't done that yet but a good reason NOT to throw away big, old mirrors... :0)

Carrie

LOL...Carrie, I almost spit out my coffee when I read the idea about grasshoppers hitting their heads on mirror, falling and drowning in soapy water.

Sounds like an old Saturday Night Live skit! Hope it works.

My thumb and forefinger are my only weapon. Never saw them here until this year and I'm at war with anything that eats plants with all this rain/humidity...slugs, earwigs, tussock moths, grasshoppers, etc.
Anything except Monarch & Black Swallowtail cats, of course.

Thanks goodness most people don't see me grabbing at the air when grasshoppers jump.

On a brighter note I have 3 preying mantis this year. The brown one is on Lychnia Coronaria which I'm slowly cutting down to a base of foliage as flowers die off. Mantis just keeps moving around but doesn't leave the plant.

I am NOT very knowledgeable about grasshoppers, or insects in general - so I am calling them grasshoppers, but they are brown, huge and impossible to catch by hand. Once they spot me or I am nearby, they fly up high for about 10/12 seconds, then land - are way too fast to catch unless I am lucky.

They are not locusts - and they look like "grasshoppers" but
whatever they are - - they eat anything and everything around.

I wondered what happened to my Joe Pye Weed leaves - now I am sure who has been eating them. :0(

Sometimes I think they are worse than rabbits - at least the rabbits are adorable..

Carrie

Plant something for the birds. I'm pretty sure it's birds that keep my grasshopper population down.

Great idea - except that I already have tons and tons of birds - My husband and I were just saying that we've never seen so many this year - all kinds - cardinals, robins, of course - goldfinches, and other birds (gray and white) I've never seen before - I honestly don't think any of these birds could even catch these "buggers"... they are giant and fast...

Come on BIRDS! Do you stuff!!

Carrie

correction: Do YOUR stuff!! :0/

I have the green ones and the brown flyers. The green ones are worse and they are so abundant this year that as you approach the gardens they start jumping all over the place.

We call the brown flyers "Clickers" because they do make a clicking sound.

It looks like you might be right about the molasses treatment. (see link below)

I still haven't broke out any chemicals yet. There's so much damage, I'm kind of at the "what's the point now" stage, since the season will be over for us in a month or so, but I sure would like to have a plan in place before next year.

BTW, we have four main types here - brown ones with the black stripes down their backs (yes, he's boldly eating my echinacea in front of me!),

{{gwi:426133}}

long, thin tan ones (the kids call these the "flyers"), green ones, and smaller brown speckled ones.

Carrie, let us know if that mirror trick works!

Bonnie

Here is a link that might be useful: Grasshopper Info

Long, thin brown ones "flyers" - I think those are the ones I have - a lot of them, too! Haven't seen many little green ones - but I am sure they are around...

If I can get an old mirror, I am trying that "trick" - but will be surprised if it works!

Thanks for the link, Bonnie

Carrie

I noticed more birds than usual this year too. Especially robins, and they seem bigger than usual.

How about a cayenne pepper spray, or that garlic spray from the link - at least to use on your very favorites? Do you have a hose-end or tank sprayer? Worth a shot, or did you try that already?

Or, sounds like you need a whole pond of molasses!

Good Luck!

I have trouble with grasshoppers too. Not the ones that fly, but hop. This year I bought a product at a nursery called Nolo Bait Biological Insecticide. It is supposed to kill only the bugs in the grasshopper family. It looks like tiny little flakes. I put it on the plants and kept the garden dry for about four days. The grasshopper population in my yard has really diminished.

Derek, I have used Semaspore Bait for the past two years, which is basically the same as Nolo Bait. It is approved for organic use, and would probably work well for Carrie and Tiffy, who both have fairly large properties. I live on a small lot with several empty lots and open spaces surrounding my property, so even though it decreases the numbers of young grasshoppers in my garden in the spring, the full sized ones move onto my property from those open areas once they are large enough and the fields start to dry up from the summer heat. The bait only works when they are 1/4" to 1/2" in size, so it has no affect on the mature grasshoppers that invade my garden in June and July.

I guess I may have to buy enough to treat those open areas if I want to have any success with that method.

I'm glad to know that it's affective given the right circumstances though.

Bonnie

Do you know anyone who has chickens? They are the best for grasshoppers of all kinds! I used to have them when we lived in Kansas, here I'd need a big shed 'cause they won't go out in the snow(average four ft snowfall) but have wondered about "renting" one or two for the summer!!LOL!!
-B

Even if I had chickens (not allowed here) they probably would have a hard time catching these "grasshoppers" - they fly as soon as they hear someone coming... annoying things, they are!

Carrie

Well, for the past few years I have had some infestation .
I posted pictures in the gallery section not long ago.
I have used Demon WP spray. It does kill a few, it also
kills other insects. My hollyhocks are basically gone
now, because of GH. I truly hate them!

There is a product that I asked about through the
Pest forums. A product called "Nosema locustae",
which I told myself I would have on hand early this season.
Never did buy any.

I have grasshoppers all sizes and all kinds. Grasshopper
central it is here! A real smorgasbord!

Mary

Mary, nosema locustae is the name of the ingredient that is in both the Nolo Bait, and Semaspore Bait products. As I mentioned before, the baits have to be used when the grasshoppers first emerge, so usually in May here.

Bonnie