Leaf hoppers on my grapes and eggplants?? HELP!!

14 years ago

Ok, two things- one, I'm not sure what they are, and two, I'm not sure what to do about them. They seem like little insignificant gnats, no larger than the tip of a pencil lead. When I walk by or brush the plants, they jump everywhere. When they stand still, they look like little wedges, much like pics I can find online of leaf hoppers, but without the striking markings and color. My eyes aren't what they used to be, but they seem mostly one color to me, but with a rounded head, and two wings that fold into the shape of a triangular pear wedge. They seem to eat the leaves of my plants without actually leaving holes. The infested leaves look more like they're just old, with light green speckles and patches, as if it was a natural selection, or autumn, that they were suffering from. At first, I thought nothing of it - it all looked natural, and the plants are still growing and producing - but more and more, I think these are pests that need to GO... But how to get rid of them???

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Comments (4)

fabaceae_native
14 years ago
You might look into using diatomaceous earth, which should work for leafhoppers.

If the plants are healthy, and happy with the weather, pests should not be much of a problem though. I would imagine it's near the end of the season for both the eggplant and grape anyway? If it is, the leafhoppers could be just an early sign of senescence. Then again, maybe there's not much else around for these insects that is palatable right now...
In any case, good luck!
drmrsguild
Original Author
14 years ago
Wow, 10 points for the word! That is exactly what I had been thinking... senescence: process of deterioration with age, loss of a cell's power of division and growth.

How would I apply the diatomaceous earth? Just on the ground?
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fabaceae_native
14 years ago
I've never actually used it, although it seems to keep popping up as a natural control for various insects. The package should give instructions, but as I understand, it has to be dusted over the plants while the insects are present, so that it coats them. Apparently the microscopic diatoms act like glass to the insect, cutting into their exoskeleton and causing dehydration.
bizzzzyme
9 years ago
I realize that this comes 5 years after the question was asked, but just in case someone else does a search for leaf hoppers, I'm going to post my recent discovery. These little demons killed one of our grapevines 3 years ago and came back in full force this year trying to do it to the other one. We tried everything, sprays and even white fly sticky traps. They would get on the traps but most would just flip off again. Soooo, I tried fly paper. Yes the kind that opens into a long spiral that you don't want to get too close to with your hair. LOL Within 10 minutes there was a huge amount of them stuck on all 3 that I hung out. By the time I got done gardening I could walk by the vine with no little demons flying around and hitting me like little BB's. I went out later and shook the vines and NOTHING. They were ALL on the fly paper. I'm lucky to have places to hang them from but if you don't just drive a couple of plant stakes in the ground a couple feet apart, put a string between them and hang your fly paper from the middle of the string. Voila!